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<blockquote data-quote="amethal" data-source="post: 4242605" data-attributes="member: 22784"><p><strong>Mission to the Monastery of Two Winds</strong></p><p><strong>Act One – Journey through Ostalin</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><em>Scene 1 - Lyceum</em></p><p><em>April 1, 10am</em></p><p><em></em></p><p>Our heroes have arrived back from Dassen, and have spent some time basking in the glory of their achievements. Eventually, they are called into Simeon’s office. It seems the headmaster has another mission for them.</p><p></p><p>Simeon is accompanied by his two main aides, the abjurer Kiernan and the fire mage Katrina.</p><p></p><p>“I must ask you to keep what I tell you confidential,” says Simeon. “We have cleaned out several nests of Ragesian agents, but I am convinced that there are more spies in the town who we haven’t identified.</p><p></p><p>“At the moment, the situation is fairly good, or at least as good as we can reasonably hope for. You’ve managed to stall the Third Ragesian Army on the border of Dassen. The First Army is still scattered around Sindaire, trying to find a way through the firestorm into Castle Korstull.</p><p></p><p>“The Second Army has taken Gate Pass, but is having trouble with the resistance.”</p><p></p><p>Katrina interrupts at this point. “I gather my brother Rantle is proving a serious thorn in their sides. I had hoped he’d leave Gate Pass and join me here in Seaquen, but he has other ideas.”</p><p></p><p>“The Fourth Army is moving into northern Shahalesti,” continues Simeon. “Our information from the region is sketchy, but it appears the elves are being forced to retreat. I suspect they will soon attempt to sue for peace. Whether or not Leska will listen is anybody’s guess. Her strategy so far has been baffling. The only place the Ragesians seem interested in holding on to territory is in Gate Pass; everywhere else they march in, overcome any defences and march out again.</p><p></p><p>“You may remember that in the aftermath of the storm which struck Seaquen there was evidence linking the catastrophe with the Monastery of Two Winds. Our treacherous harbourmaster, the druid Lee, trained there originally, and the item he used to control the weather had signs of having been created there.”</p><p></p><p>“I am sure the monastery had nothing to do with the storm”, says Caryk. “The two leaders, my erstwhile master, Longinus, and his brother Pilus, have long pursued a policy of neutrality. Also, what could they possibly gain from the town’s destruction?”</p><p></p><p>“Indeed,” replies Simeon. “You may remember the refugee monks from Ycengled, led by Three Weeping Ravens. He and his followers sought sanctuary at the monastery when they were driven from their forest temple, but the Two Winds monks would not let them in, all part of their much vaunted neutrality.</p><p></p><p>“However, it was our only lead. Whilst you were on your mission to Dassen, we sent a group of five brave people to the investigate the Monastery. Longinus and Pilus refused to see them, presumably in order to maintain their neutral stance.</p><p></p><p>“Then, we received a message from them saying that a company of Ragesian soldiers had arrived in the town, and were trying to attack the monastery. Considering its content, the tone of the message was strangely calm, and we have heard nothing since.”</p><p></p><p>“Why the Ragesians would be interested in the monastery is a mystery,” says Kiernan. “Its on the border between Ostalin and Sindaire, and fairly close to Castle Korstull. But so are plenty of other places, and the monks are skilled in air magic, particularly the two leaders. It would be a tough nut to crack, so the Ragesians would need a compelling reason to attack it.”</p><p></p><p>“I attempted a divination,” says Simeon. “The results, as usual, were cryptic. ‘No single wind can destroy the Torch’s fire, but a second wind could be its ruin.’ We take this to mean that the leaders of the monastery might be able to create a magical wind which will blow away the firestorm around Castle Korstull for long enough for a team to enter the castle and search for the torch.</p><p></p><p>“This we would like you to undertake a mission to the monastery. See if you can find out what, if anything, has happened to the previous group. Investigate any connection between the monastery and the magical storm in Seaquen. But primarily, your goal is to try and enlist the aid of the monks against the firestorm, and then enter and search Castle Korstull. What do you say?”</p><p></p><p>After a short discussion, the party accepts the mission.</p><p></p><p>“Good,” says Simeon. “You are the ideal choices, as Caryk is familiar with the monastery and its region. It’s a long journey, but Katrina has come up with a plan.”</p><p></p><p>“The leader of the Wayfarers, Sheena Larkins, can teleport you there,” says Katrina. “Apparently she is able to polymorph you all into red dragons or similar fire immune creatures, enabling you to avoid the effect of the Burning Sky.”</p><p></p><p>“Unfortunately, your plan would kill us all,” says Jonathan dryly. “Such magic can provide the outward seeming of a dragon, as well as its mundane features like tough hide, wings and large claws, but does not allow access to its more supernatural abilities. I very much wish it did.”</p><p></p><p>Simeon and Kiernan exchange dismayed glances. “I see,” says Simeon. “Unfortunately neither of us have any experience with transmutation magic. Our specialities lie elsewhere.”</p><p></p><p>“I can make you all extremely resistant to fire,” says Kiernan. “We have established that the effect of the Burning Sky is least strong at midnight. An attempt to teleport then should be survivable.”</p><p></p><p>“It’ll certainly be survivable by you,” retorts Gribron. “After all, you aren’t coming with us. I think we’d need a bit more of a guarantee, if its all the same to you.”</p><p></p><p>Jonathan thinks for a moment. “Kiernan is an adept mage, and its not that far to the monastery. Let me see, based on what we know of the effects, adjust exponently for the distance, carry the two, add a margin for error ….. Yes, I can survive such a trip.”</p><p></p><p>“What about the rest of us?” asks Agatha.</p><p></p><p>“The pixie is the frailest, but I calculate he’d be very unlucky if he actually died from the experience. The rest of you should suffer no more than third degree burns.”</p><p></p><p>The party spend the day preparing for their trip, and assemble at the town gates the next morning.</p><p></p><p>Sheena Larkins is there with Simeon. “I am most familiar with the city of Yen-Ching, on the Ostalin side of the mountain,” says Sheena. I will transport you to the private garden of a friend of mine. You will then have to obtain horses for a trip to the monastery, which will take a couple of days.</p><p></p><p>“I could try and scry out a site closer to the monastery, but that greatly increases the risk of you arriving somewhere other than intended.”</p><p></p><p>The group have to head out ten miles into the swamp, as the teleportation beacon in Seaquen is still operating as a trap for those trying to teleport within the confines of the town unwary. The trek passes without incident, and they make good time. Then there is nothing to do but camp and wait for midnight.</p><p></p><p>Sheena casts the spell, and the party vanishes …..</p><p></p><p><strong>Scene 2 – Ostalin</strong></p><p><strong></strong><em>April 1, Midnight</em></p><p><em></em></p><p>The party arrive in Yen-Chin in a massive ball of flame.</p><p></p><p>“I hope we haven’t set fire to the garden,” thinks Solsus, but when the flame clears it becomes evident that will not be an issue.</p><p></p><p>The party are standing in a metal cage, next to a black object which looks very similar to the teleportation beacon in Seaquen. The cage is in the centre of a courtyard, flanked by four towers. Ostalin soldiers stand on top of the towers, aiming longbows at their new arrivals.</p><p></p><p>A woman on one of the towers calls out,” Identify yourselves or die!”</p><p></p><p>“I am Sir Jonathan Farrier,” says Jonathan. The rest of the group also identify themselves, except for Solsus, who has turned invisible and is hoping for the best.</p><p></p><p>“I am Captain Felpan of the Ostalin Royal Guard,” replies the woman. “My lord will wish to question you. Throw down you weapons and we will let you out of the cage. Your equipment will be returned to you once we are satisfied your intentions are not hostile, and you will be free to leave.”</p><p></p><p>The group throws down their various weapons, some with more reluctance than others – it is clear they have no choice.</p><p></p><p>Captain Felpan and her men lead them to a small villa on the edge of the courtyard. They walk past numerous silent guards; whoever the lord is he is clearly well protected. They are taken to a soft, comfortable room with dozens of plush beds and the strong spell of incense.</p><p></p><p>Standing in the centre of the room is a tall, dark haired young man apparently in his mid twenties. He is wearing a richly decorated uniform, but has an odd appearance. His face seems to be a bizarre and anatomically impossible combination of orc and elf.</p><p></p><p>Captain Felpan bows. “I present to you the Grand Khagan, ruler of Ostalin, his m\ajesty, my lord Onamdammin.”</p><p></p><p>“The hour is late, so let us keep this brief,” says Onamdammin. “Who are you, where are you from and why are you in my northernmost city?”</p><p></p><p>True to his word, the interview is short – which is fortunate, because the party are hard pressed not to stare at the Khagan’s bizarre face. He is familiar with the monastery, and scoffs at the news that the Ragesians have laid siege to it. He is confident “my close friend Pilus” will be more than capable of driving off even a battalion of Ragesians.</p><p></p><p>He then terminates the interview, but offers the party the attentions of his harem for the night.</p><p></p><p>After some hesitation, the party accept his offer. They learn a number of interesting facts about the Khagan from the harem. The previous Khagan was a mighty human warlord, who dramatically expanded the kingdom’s borders. His son, however, is not the man his father was – literally in this case, since Onamdammin is a half elf..</p><p></p><p>Growing up in a world dominated by the half orc emperor Coaltongue, Onamdammin came to see his elven blood as weakness, and turned to biomancy in order to make himself more like an orc. A recent fey arrival in his harem took pity on his “curse” and attempted to “heal” him, resulting in the current mishmash of elf and orc features.</p><p></p><p>The Khagan had the well meaning fey petrified. All fey who enter Ostalin are similarly turned to stone – there is an audible gulp from the corner of the room at this point, but there is nobody there. The monk Pilus is a master of biomancy, and is working on a solution for the Khagan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="amethal, post: 4242605, member: 22784"] [B]Mission to the Monastery of Two Winds Act One – Journey through Ostalin [/B] [I]Scene 1 - Lyceum April 1, 10am [/I] Our heroes have arrived back from Dassen, and have spent some time basking in the glory of their achievements. Eventually, they are called into Simeon’s office. It seems the headmaster has another mission for them. Simeon is accompanied by his two main aides, the abjurer Kiernan and the fire mage Katrina. “I must ask you to keep what I tell you confidential,” says Simeon. “We have cleaned out several nests of Ragesian agents, but I am convinced that there are more spies in the town who we haven’t identified. “At the moment, the situation is fairly good, or at least as good as we can reasonably hope for. You’ve managed to stall the Third Ragesian Army on the border of Dassen. The First Army is still scattered around Sindaire, trying to find a way through the firestorm into Castle Korstull. “The Second Army has taken Gate Pass, but is having trouble with the resistance.” Katrina interrupts at this point. “I gather my brother Rantle is proving a serious thorn in their sides. I had hoped he’d leave Gate Pass and join me here in Seaquen, but he has other ideas.” “The Fourth Army is moving into northern Shahalesti,” continues Simeon. “Our information from the region is sketchy, but it appears the elves are being forced to retreat. I suspect they will soon attempt to sue for peace. Whether or not Leska will listen is anybody’s guess. Her strategy so far has been baffling. The only place the Ragesians seem interested in holding on to territory is in Gate Pass; everywhere else they march in, overcome any defences and march out again. “You may remember that in the aftermath of the storm which struck Seaquen there was evidence linking the catastrophe with the Monastery of Two Winds. Our treacherous harbourmaster, the druid Lee, trained there originally, and the item he used to control the weather had signs of having been created there.” “I am sure the monastery had nothing to do with the storm”, says Caryk. “The two leaders, my erstwhile master, Longinus, and his brother Pilus, have long pursued a policy of neutrality. Also, what could they possibly gain from the town’s destruction?” “Indeed,” replies Simeon. “You may remember the refugee monks from Ycengled, led by Three Weeping Ravens. He and his followers sought sanctuary at the monastery when they were driven from their forest temple, but the Two Winds monks would not let them in, all part of their much vaunted neutrality. “However, it was our only lead. Whilst you were on your mission to Dassen, we sent a group of five brave people to the investigate the Monastery. Longinus and Pilus refused to see them, presumably in order to maintain their neutral stance. “Then, we received a message from them saying that a company of Ragesian soldiers had arrived in the town, and were trying to attack the monastery. Considering its content, the tone of the message was strangely calm, and we have heard nothing since.” “Why the Ragesians would be interested in the monastery is a mystery,” says Kiernan. “Its on the border between Ostalin and Sindaire, and fairly close to Castle Korstull. But so are plenty of other places, and the monks are skilled in air magic, particularly the two leaders. It would be a tough nut to crack, so the Ragesians would need a compelling reason to attack it.” “I attempted a divination,” says Simeon. “The results, as usual, were cryptic. ‘No single wind can destroy the Torch’s fire, but a second wind could be its ruin.’ We take this to mean that the leaders of the monastery might be able to create a magical wind which will blow away the firestorm around Castle Korstull for long enough for a team to enter the castle and search for the torch. “This we would like you to undertake a mission to the monastery. See if you can find out what, if anything, has happened to the previous group. Investigate any connection between the monastery and the magical storm in Seaquen. But primarily, your goal is to try and enlist the aid of the monks against the firestorm, and then enter and search Castle Korstull. What do you say?” After a short discussion, the party accepts the mission. “Good,” says Simeon. “You are the ideal choices, as Caryk is familiar with the monastery and its region. It’s a long journey, but Katrina has come up with a plan.” “The leader of the Wayfarers, Sheena Larkins, can teleport you there,” says Katrina. “Apparently she is able to polymorph you all into red dragons or similar fire immune creatures, enabling you to avoid the effect of the Burning Sky.” “Unfortunately, your plan would kill us all,” says Jonathan dryly. “Such magic can provide the outward seeming of a dragon, as well as its mundane features like tough hide, wings and large claws, but does not allow access to its more supernatural abilities. I very much wish it did.” Simeon and Kiernan exchange dismayed glances. “I see,” says Simeon. “Unfortunately neither of us have any experience with transmutation magic. Our specialities lie elsewhere.” “I can make you all extremely resistant to fire,” says Kiernan. “We have established that the effect of the Burning Sky is least strong at midnight. An attempt to teleport then should be survivable.” “It’ll certainly be survivable by you,” retorts Gribron. “After all, you aren’t coming with us. I think we’d need a bit more of a guarantee, if its all the same to you.” Jonathan thinks for a moment. “Kiernan is an adept mage, and its not that far to the monastery. Let me see, based on what we know of the effects, adjust exponently for the distance, carry the two, add a margin for error ….. Yes, I can survive such a trip.” “What about the rest of us?” asks Agatha. “The pixie is the frailest, but I calculate he’d be very unlucky if he actually died from the experience. The rest of you should suffer no more than third degree burns.” The party spend the day preparing for their trip, and assemble at the town gates the next morning. Sheena Larkins is there with Simeon. “I am most familiar with the city of Yen-Ching, on the Ostalin side of the mountain,” says Sheena. I will transport you to the private garden of a friend of mine. You will then have to obtain horses for a trip to the monastery, which will take a couple of days. “I could try and scry out a site closer to the monastery, but that greatly increases the risk of you arriving somewhere other than intended.” The group have to head out ten miles into the swamp, as the teleportation beacon in Seaquen is still operating as a trap for those trying to teleport within the confines of the town unwary. The trek passes without incident, and they make good time. Then there is nothing to do but camp and wait for midnight. Sheena casts the spell, and the party vanishes ….. [B]Scene 2 – Ostalin [/B][I]April 1, Midnight [/I] The party arrive in Yen-Chin in a massive ball of flame. “I hope we haven’t set fire to the garden,” thinks Solsus, but when the flame clears it becomes evident that will not be an issue. The party are standing in a metal cage, next to a black object which looks very similar to the teleportation beacon in Seaquen. The cage is in the centre of a courtyard, flanked by four towers. Ostalin soldiers stand on top of the towers, aiming longbows at their new arrivals. A woman on one of the towers calls out,” Identify yourselves or die!” “I am Sir Jonathan Farrier,” says Jonathan. The rest of the group also identify themselves, except for Solsus, who has turned invisible and is hoping for the best. “I am Captain Felpan of the Ostalin Royal Guard,” replies the woman. “My lord will wish to question you. Throw down you weapons and we will let you out of the cage. Your equipment will be returned to you once we are satisfied your intentions are not hostile, and you will be free to leave.” The group throws down their various weapons, some with more reluctance than others – it is clear they have no choice. Captain Felpan and her men lead them to a small villa on the edge of the courtyard. They walk past numerous silent guards; whoever the lord is he is clearly well protected. They are taken to a soft, comfortable room with dozens of plush beds and the strong spell of incense. Standing in the centre of the room is a tall, dark haired young man apparently in his mid twenties. He is wearing a richly decorated uniform, but has an odd appearance. His face seems to be a bizarre and anatomically impossible combination of orc and elf. Captain Felpan bows. “I present to you the Grand Khagan, ruler of Ostalin, his m\ajesty, my lord Onamdammin.” “The hour is late, so let us keep this brief,” says Onamdammin. “Who are you, where are you from and why are you in my northernmost city?” True to his word, the interview is short – which is fortunate, because the party are hard pressed not to stare at the Khagan’s bizarre face. He is familiar with the monastery, and scoffs at the news that the Ragesians have laid siege to it. He is confident “my close friend Pilus” will be more than capable of driving off even a battalion of Ragesians. He then terminates the interview, but offers the party the attentions of his harem for the night. After some hesitation, the party accept his offer. They learn a number of interesting facts about the Khagan from the harem. The previous Khagan was a mighty human warlord, who dramatically expanded the kingdom’s borders. His son, however, is not the man his father was – literally in this case, since Onamdammin is a half elf.. Growing up in a world dominated by the half orc emperor Coaltongue, Onamdammin came to see his elven blood as weakness, and turned to biomancy in order to make himself more like an orc. A recent fey arrival in his harem took pity on his “curse” and attempted to “heal” him, resulting in the current mishmash of elf and orc features. The Khagan had the well meaning fey petrified. All fey who enter Ostalin are similarly turned to stone – there is an audible gulp from the corner of the room at this point, but there is nobody there. The monk Pilus is a master of biomancy, and is working on a solution for the Khagan. [/QUOTE]
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