Kiri-Jolith's Temple Continued, Agnes' Info Dump and Getting the Elves to Safety

07 Newkolt 349 AC

Note: The Temple of Kiri-Jolith is based on "The Ghost Blade" from the 3rd edition Dragonlance Campaign Setting Sourcebook, modified for level and to fit the plot of our current campaign.

AT THE ABANDONED TEMPLE OF KIRI-JOLITH

Grotto realizes his peril. Before continuing further he back tracks to the entrance to find Lorraine. He tells his fellow healer to find his friends to let then know where he is. "I will mark the path I take in the temple so they can meet me. "

Grotto then returns to the temple. He pulls his chalk from his gear to mark the walls with the direction he travels.

Grotto goes to investigate the false wall he found to make sure it is also not trapped. After investigating, he knocks the wall down to see what secrets it hides.

The dirt collapses with a simple stroke of the axe, revealing a 30'-long steep and narrow stairway opens into a small room that clearly seems to be a shrine of some form. A small altar sits against the far wall. The slightly curved horn of some sort of animal sits atop the altar.

EN ROUTE TO THE DRAGON ISLES

Arthur holds her hand "Can you tell me more about what I may need to know where we are going? And more about your lineage?" He listens giving her all of his attention.

"My people are noble warriors and diplomats, we sought to advise and guide the younger races, hoping they would avoid the mistakes of their forebears. Time and again, this was not to be as many were too...short-sighted to heed our words of warning. They fought, they killed each other, and they fell into darkness." Agnes stares off into the distance for awhile, lost in thought. "Of course, this was nearly 1,500 years before my hatching. Some humans, elves, dwarves, and even minotaurs embraced honorable paths and the precepts of self-sacrifice, becoming heroes along the way. I used to wish that I had been alive back then. But, now..." she stops and looks directly into Arthur’s eyes  "Now, i have you and I am glad that I wasn't."

After a few more minutes of eating, Arthur and Agnes are rejoined by Saria who comes bearing a sack filled with bread, nuts, berries, and smoked fish. "I got all of this from the quartermaster. He wasn't going to let me have it but I told him that it was for Sir Arthur and suddenly, I had almost more than I could carry."

IN COUNCILOR SUMMERWALKER'S WAREHOUSE ~ NOW SERVING AS RA'ZIIR/SHADOW/KYSEK'S COMMAND CENTER

Shadow sees that the Elves have arrived safely and says to Cedron “I’ll be right back with the others.” The dark elf places a hand on Ra'ziir's shoulder and vanishes.

With his companions' departure being as abrupt as their arrival and nearly forty elves all suffering from hypothermia and frostbite, Cedron begins to triage the wounded. He calls out to get their attention and starts humming a ballad to calm the rescued prisoners as he works.

“Soft kitty, warm kitty,
Little ball of fur.
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty,
Purr, purr, purr."

While many of his patients only need something warm to eat and drink, there are two who show signs of more severe injuries, their feet gray and waxy. The priest begins pours warm water into a pair of large basins and instructs them to begin soaking their extremities.

AND, LASTLY, IN KURINOST...

The fire elemental streaks toward the approaching dragon. The mighty wyrm lashes out with its powerful talons, raking the flaming body, scattering flames with each swipe just before its jaws snap shut on the summoned creature. The fiery humanoid fights back, flailing with both of its arms. It manages to blacken a couple of scales but the dragon barely seems to notice.

Kysek reaches into his cloak. He pulls forth his wand of lighting and unleashes it upon the dragon before its arrival. The bolt strikes the dragon in the chest and dissipates into a harmless shower of sparks.

Raven stops running and begins shouting at the dragon to get its attention. He raises his bow and fires four arrows at the beast, while yelling "COME GET ME, YOU UGLY WYRM!" The missiles streak through the air and pierce the dragon's belly. The first arrow sinks in up to the fletching, eliciting a cry of pain and rage from the wyrm.

Shadow and Ra'ziir suddenly reappear. The bladesinger orders the freed prisoners to join hands. His hands flash through a rapid series of arcane gestures before hurling a lightning bolt of his own at the dragon. The verdant serpent twists aside, avoiding the brunt of the attack but the black-robed Elfemental leaves a nasty scorch along its left wing. With a shout of, "Missa lanuae," he teleports away with the final eleven prisoners, arriving in the warehouse less than a moment later.

Shadow, Kysek, and Raven stand ready on the ice as the dragon continues to close in on them.