Eleasias 20

Eleasias 20, 1369:

    The party continued along the trail to the far side of the
    mountain from the kobold village.  This was the location marked
    with a kobold skull on the map in the king's cave.  The trail was
    interrupted by a cliff at this point and the party saw a large
    mass of bones at the bottom.  They circled around to the base of
    the cliff and examined the bones.

    The bones where all from kobold skeletons and many showed signs of
    advanced age.  Freegz was questioned about what happens to old
    kobolds and he only knew that they where taken away.  The party
    surmized that aging kobolds were taken here and thrown off of the
    cliff.

    A few hours later AFAL was traveling east along the south face of
    the next mountain when they saw a bright flash over the horizon to
    the southeast.  A few minutes later, they both felt and heard a
    thunder-like rumbling noise, possibly from the same direction.  A
    little while later they saw what must have been a cloud that
    looked like a mountain-sized mushroom growing ovem the horizon
    where the flash had come from.  They guessed that all of this
    might have been coming from Hellgate Keep.  Days later, when they
    returned to town, the party learned that the Mistmaster had
    provided two Harpers, the bard Crishana Fireglen and the
    Spellviper, a priestess of Mystra snuck two shards of the
    Gatekeeper's Crystall, a magical item which allowed the Mistmaster
    to set off a devastating explosion that destroyed Hellgate Keep.
    The blast was felt for over 100 miles in all directions.  Both
    Harpers died in the blast, as they knew they would.

    AFAL continued across the mountain and reached the area indicated
    on the Sharrite map near dusk.  They found a clearing with a small
    structure on the other side, but decided to back off and deal with
    it in the morning.

    They headed back the way they had come to make camp in the last
    good spot they had passed, but Maanamere and Dexter became aware
    that they were being followed from the clearing with the
    structure.

    The party stopped to "rest" and Dexter and Maanamere circled back
    to try to sneak up on their followers.  Unfortunately, when they
    got around to the trail the party had been followed along, all
    they found where the tracks of three people.  From the tracks
    Dexter determined that they where a male elf (blond) about 5'6"
    wearing brown tunic & hose, a female elf (blond, loose) about 5'3"
    wearing green & brown, and a female human (brunette, braided)
    about 5'8" wearing brown & black - it was a really good
    roll.

    The tracks circled around the party on the other side, so Dexter
    and Maanamere continued their circle around the party, following
    the three strangers.  They followed the tracks around to the point
    where they snuck out of the party in the first place.  At this
    point the male elf headed away and the two women continued to
    circle the party.

    Maanamere and Dexter rejoined the party and, at Maanamere's
    suggestion, the party continued on to their campsite while he
    stayed behind on the trail.  He invited the strangers to come out
    and show themselves.  His charisma won out and they followed him
    back.  Eventually the male elf dropped in from his hiding place
    above the party.
        350xp Roleplay Bonus to Maanamere for excelence in stupidity.

    The three rangers, Thanara Snowfriend (human female),
    Aeralal Linornal (elf female) and Elasinien
    Lirinarlennar (elf male) were trying to learn what the
    party's connection to the building was.  They explained that it
    was a shrine to Shar that they were staking out to watch for Shar
    worshippers (they mostly expected demi-humans).  When asked
    Stewart answered that they were looking for something of Shar's
    that they had information was there.  When they expressed concern
    Stewart pointed out that the holy symbol that he was wearing was
    unlikely to be worn by a Shar worshipper and that the same would
    be true for Dexter.  The presence of holy symbols of Selune'
    calmed them noticably.  They sent for the rest of their band, who
    were hiding around the shrine.

    Their band included several interesting looking characters and
    Taren Valderthar and Muri Haroin, the two members of the Sunrise
    Band who had fought hill giants with the party on Kythorn 10th.  Stewart briefly
    recounted their tale of trashing the Vanishing Tower.  AFAL told
    the rangers about the hidden pass that they had found.  The night
    was spent in song and drink, not big on details but interesting.
    The party silently formed the opinion that this was a Harper
    mission.

    It was agreed that Taren and his band would continue their watch
    on the shrine and Stewart extracted a promise that they would
    eventually destroy it.  Also AFAL agreed to take Muri and two
    other fighters back to the pass to show him how to find it.
    Stewart gave Taren a flask of holy water from the Temple of Silver
    Stars.
        2000xp to (whole) party - story award for hidden pass, Shar
            stash, kobold cultural field trip and shrine/harpers.