Summary
In Bryn Shander, the party begins to investigate the clues they have been given. They meet with the wizard Vellyne Harper who tells them she was sent with two other wizards by the Arcane Brotherhood, to investigate a possible Netherese site that might have magical artifacts leftover from the ancient Netheril Empire. Dzann, the wizard of Thay, was one of her team, but he may have tried to steal the location for himself with the help of the local adventurers he is supposed to have murdered. The third member of the team, Nass Lantomir, has disappeared. She is also looking for a cleric, McCreedus, who is supposed to be secluded in a remote cabin researching an artifact. The party gives her the message Captain Zardoz sent for her, she reads it and says a mystic working for the Arcane Brotherhood sent a prophecy: "The way to the answer can be found in the House of the Morning Lord. Look for copper there to show the way". The "Morning Lord" is the god Lathander, Vellyne gives them directions to the church. Questioning Vellyne on other matters, she believes Auril has gained some new source of power to help cause the climate change. Some of the villages are trying sacrifices, either to appease Auril or possibly get other divine help. They ask about the black crystal weapons, she replies that is chardalyn. There was an evil wizard who created a giant black crystal castle made of chardalyn. When the castle was destroyed, shards were scattered all over the north and they still have remnants of his evil power.
They decide to investigate the church and head there. They discover "copper" is a gnome handyman, Copper Knobberknocker. He is concerned about his missing friend McCreedus who is at a black cabin on the edge of a ravine northeast from the town of Termalaine in the Lonelywood. The party decides to travel to Termalaine and leave tomorrow. They buy axebeaks to ride and supplies for them and their mounts. They return to the Northlook inn and speak to the barmaid Brione whose husband was one of the adventurers Dzann was supposed to have betrayed. She knows the expedition went "many days east". She blames Dzann for the locals deaths, but there is a possibility she is not being entirely honest. She refers to Dzann's execution as a sacrifice.
The next morning they depart for Termalaine and arrive with no problem. They speak to the local innkeeper about a local guide and he refers them to Sven Woodcutter. Sven is a massive lumberjack and knows the area. He gives them directions to where the cabin is supposed and warns them about barbarians, yeti, and a ghost moose. Oh, and the cabin is haunted.
They travel to the cabin, which is inded on the ravine and extends out over the cliffs. Peaking through windows, the building seems deserted. They enter and find a fire blackened table which a scorched book and body and a mysterious orb made of two joined rings. Walking around the table, the floor collapses under Tetsuo and he falls into the ravine and is seriously wounded. They pull him up and heal him. Virion examines the body and thinks it is a middle aged human male. Hadrian looks at the orb, it has a piece of chardalyn and is inscribed with runes of weather control. One of the rooms has several large barrels of wine. Another has empty bookcases and the floor is littered with blueprints of the orb and a small clay figure which may be some kind of mini golem or homunculus.
They search the rest of the cabin and find a workshop with tinker's and smith's tools and bits of metal that look like they came from the rings. Examining the various notes, they learn some things about the orb and decide to take it back. They try picking it up in a blanket, but the ord activates in a blinding flash, the party blacks out and wakes up…somewhere else. They seem to be spirits, some look like their mortal forms, Hadrian looks like a vampire and Tesuo is a giant cat-thing. A floating head with flaming eyes appears and challenges them. They learn it is the spirit of Mcreadus, they are dead! He tells them how to get back, but someone mortal has to speak the words. Fortunately, the flare from the orb has attracted a passerby, a bearlike humanoid who says his name is Oyaminartok. Virion communicates with him by using a splinter to write in the soot and snow and communicates Mcreadus' instructions. Oyaminartok speaks the words and the party reappears. They thank their benefactor and pick up the orb with a rope strung through the loops. They decide to return to Bryn Shander and see what Vellyne can make of it. Virion and Dafni use Sending spells to communicate with Mcreadus.
Silly Quotes and Smart Remarks
A cleric is holed up in a cabin researching an artifact
Jim "It's not the Necronomicon is it?"
Discussing the properties of the chardalyn magical crystals
Chmiel "It's a great wine. Ice wine"
The crystals on the weapons are evil
Kevin "I only used it once"
Emily "And you can quit anytime"
MC, spectating "Just like heroin"
Asking where the Church of the Morning Lord is
Lee "She gives you directions; it's left"
The gnome is Copper Knobberknocker
Jim "I think that tops Erky Timbers"
Looking at the map and seeing a mountain named ''Kelvin's Cairn"
Kevin "I think it has a Pit of Despair"
Discussing the local temperatures
Callum "Mars, or Winnipeg?"
Kevin "It's chilly"
Jim "Even by Buffalo standards"
The party finds a scroll
Kevin "I'm going to look at the scroll
Chmiel "Explosive Runes"
Lee, describing a room "It's a workshop"
Brittany "Santa!"
The party dies and reappears as spirits. What do they look like?
Jim "This is the Matrix, so I have residual self-image"
Callum "I look like myself, but slightly hotter"
A giant floating head with flaming eyes appears
Emily, deep voice "Show me what you got"
Trying to leave the cabin
Lee "You can check out anytime, but you can never leave"
