20: The Hunting Lodge

The following morning the group awakens fully rested and in the morning Tamariel sets out with Borngray and a contingent of lizardmen to deliver him to the authorities in Waterdeep. The dwarf cook accompanies them and will continue on to Phandalin. Embra gives Tamariel the cursed tome to secure in Cragmaw Keep with instructions to the guards not to touch it.

Karendil informs the group that the lodge they are traveling to is owned by a noble family who have had past business ties with his family. The residence has belonged to that family for many years and Karendil remembers visiting it when, as a youth, his family had business dealings in the area and were passing through.

Prior to leaving, the group discusses whether they should clear out Rezmir’s lab containing the device, which is guarded by gargoyles. Embra flips a coin and it’s settled: they climb to the tower and enter the room, weapons drawn. Embra and Davron lead the charge and the gargoyles immediately come to life. The skirmish is heavy but brief and they are soon dispatched. Karendil peers through the telescopic device and hesitates briefly before summoning Embra, who looks through the lens and sees Voaragamanthar conversing with an identical black dragon. They assume Rezmir used the device to spy on her opponents. Shiv attempts to read their conversation but cannot, and she tries to adjust the lens to view their destination and is unable to manipulate it successfully.

The group walks to the teleport pad and, once Karendil says the word, they are transported to a plaza in a clearing in a woods near three other teleport circles in a square pattern. They are in a wooded mountainside and off in the distance they can see smoke coming from a chimney; it appears to be the lodge. They cautiously walk down a path towards it with Jory at point. Jory immediately walks into the lodge and engages in combat with the first thing he sees: a gargoyle in the main antechamber of the dwelling. The two gargoyles come to life and put up a hardy defense but are slain in moments. Jory continues, sword drawn, deeper into the building and opens a door to a kitchen. Two cooks look up from their activities and one of them says, “You know you’re not supposed to have weapons in here.”

Jory sheathes his sword and tries to walk through the kitchen and one of the cooks says, “I’m sorry sir, guests are not allowed in the preparation areas—go back out front and someone will be by to find you rooms.” He reports back to the group and Embra leads him through a few of the rooms downstairs. They find nothing of interest and so return to the group. They all find the parlor and sit and wait to be attended; some time passes and they are summoned to greet the host of the lodge. They are met by a wizened veteran soldier bearing the marks of recent combat who says, “The Lady Talis the White invites you to attend an audience in her chambers and extends to you the full hospitality of the lodge.” Karendil is noticeably taken aback at the mention of this name. The old man leads them upstairs to a large office where they are met by Talis herself, standing near two dead bodies. She greets them and bids them to take a seat and says warmly to Karendil, “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

Talis The White

The group sits and Talis says, “Apparently we have a common enemy: Rezmir. Fortunately Wessick here had my back when the time came. It seems that the power struggles within the cult have left me on the outs here, so I think we might have common interests. There has been some sort of disruption at Castle Naerytar, I presume?”

“That was us,” replies Embra.

“I have a rival in the cult named Varim the White, and Severin has sided with Varim. Varim and Rezmir wanted to make sure that when Castle Naerytar was eventually no longer of any use that I would not survive that knowledge coming to this post.”

“So they were trying to tie up loose ends?” asks Embra.

Talis sneers, “yes, Rezmir backed Varim for the position of White Wyrmspeaker, a position that I covet and one that I deserve.”

She reminds them that there are five cult leaders, one for each color of chromatic dragon. Severin is the Red Wyrmspeaker, Rezmir is the Black, and Varim is the White. Embra recognizes Varim from a family of dwarves who are involved in shady and unsavory dealings. All the loot funneled through the Sword Coast area has come through this lodge to a castle in the village of Parnast on the other side of the mountains. The castle is mobile and it belongs to cloud giant; it is scheduled to ship all the riches north, but if something were to go astray it would spell the end of Rezmir’s career within the cult. Talis proposes to aid the group in taking the castle and they all agree to this plan.

According to Talis, Rezmir barely stopped to catch her breath when she passed through the portal; she left with the last load of treasure to come through and in all likelihood made it to Parnast, which means that the castle is probably in the air by now. There are no known teleport devices in the castle and Talis proposes taking Wyverns to intercept the castle in the air. Talis estimates it will take a day’s travel and that the group must move soon. She is interrupted by a voice that utters, “Rezmir was right not to trust you, Talis—conspiring with the enemies of our cult!” The group turns to see three Chromatic cultists at the doorway, who launch an immediate and withering attack.

Shiv is savagely wounded by a blast of flame from the red Chromatic cultist, Steve is struck by the black Chromatic and takes significant physical and acid damage, and Talis is attacked by the green Chromatic cultists, who misses her strike. Shiv strikes the red cultist and retreats back to another part of the room. Jory lashes out at the black cultist, Karendil hurls his Magic Missile at all three cultists. The black cultist whirls and savagely attacks Embra, who is sorely injured, and the green cultist gravely wounds Steve’s bear form—Steve drops his bear form and concentrates for a moment. Shiv sneaks behind the black cultist and stabs him in the back, staggering him, and Jory strikes him twice with his sword. Karendil aims and fires a Scorching Ray at the green cultist, engulfing him in flames. Embra takes the opportunity to teleport out from a disadvantaged location and reposition herself near Davron, who moves to her and heals her with Cure Wounds.

Jory is flanked by the green cultist, who brutally injures him. Shiv sneaks up behind the green cultist and stabs him repeatedly until he crashes dead to the floor. Embra lashes out at the black cultist, who glows bright from the radiant damage done to him. Talis draws her sword and races across the top of the table to strike the black cultist, who staggers and viciously counter-strikes her. Talis stumbles backward, wounded and shaken, and Shiv sneaks behind the black cultist and stabs him to death. Jory rallies Talis and strikes the last cultist, who staggers back and is killed by three Magic Missiles to his face.

Talis thanks the group for their assistance and they agree to sleep off their injuries before heading out the next morning. She also informs them of banners in the linen closet that should be flown on the wyverns, so as to signal their enemies that they are allies.

MIA: Jerry, Blayne, Jeffrey

• 8 Gargoyles
• 3 Chromatic Dragon Cultists

• 10GP
• Armor and weapons from the 3 Chromatic Dragon Cultists

• 4915XP (23,000XP Total)
• Level 7 Achieved!

• Inside Joke
  Jory: Apple is sending me an advanced copy of its Apple TV.
  DM: Is it cardboard?
• Davron, No!
  DM: *gargoyle strikes* Twelve points of damage to Davron.
  Steve: Bless his heart.
• Sexxxx
  DM: Would you look in your dicebag and see if I stuck my d20 in there.
  Embra: Ahhhh gross.
• Soccer Break Talk
  Shiv: I thought this was going to be complete and total insanity.
  Embra: Do y’all have a referee?
  Shiv: Yes.
  Embra: The 4-5 year-olds don’t. They just let ’em cut loose. It’s like Lord of The Flies on the soccer field out there.
  Shiv: Well we played that Jamboree and here’s this little goalie, little girl—and she may be this much taller than Olivia—and her throw might get a little past you and the other coach is yelling “nail her with it, nail her!” and fifty boys are running towards her kicking it to the goal our our coach is like “Are you crazy?” What are they learning from that?
  Embra: Absolutely nothing. That’s why I hope Gabriel picks something like music or theater where we’re indoors and air-conditioned—if I have to leave the house I don’t want to be outside.
• The Mayor of Thundertree
  Embra: They’re in charge—I can’t hear them, they’re too far up ahead.
  Jory: Okay, I run forward.
  DM: You’re running?
  Embra: What the fuck is this guy doing?
  Jory: What do I see?
  DM: There’s a building; you don’t see any activity.
  Jory: I’m gonna totally go inside.
  DM: The front door is slightly open.
  Jory: Alright, let’s kick in the door and “Surprise, motherfuckers!”.
  DM: Kick in an open door?
  Embra: Fuck, Jory. Do you need glasses, dude? You’re like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys.
  DM: Okay, so there’s an entryway and pretty obviously a guard post over here.
  Embra: Okay…um, are we attacking this thing?
  Jory: We’re attacking. I’m going in all Call of Duty, man.
  Steve: I thought we were just walking in like, “Heyyyyy!” *waves*
  Embra: *sighs* It’s not my fault that 50% of the time Jory is useful.
  Jory: But is this one of those 50%?
  Embra: God damn you, Jory.
• The Grover Norquist of Phandalin
  DM: *as Talis the White* Apparently we have a common enemy…
  Shiv: Taxes.
• Bad Roll
  DM: Roll to attack.
  Jory. 9. No. 11. No. Damn it! 9-11.
  Embra: Never forget.
• Priorities
  *immediately after the last dragon cultist is killed*
  Embra: Well, that happened.
  Shiv: *to Talis* Friends of yours?
  Talis: Clearly you’re the best friends I have right now. Isn’t that sad?
  Embra: I solemnly nod at her as I’m cutting the purses off the dead bodies and say, “Yeah, that is sad.”