Session 39: To the Mountain
General Summary
The ground shook and trembled around Malakar as the massive Mammoth matron charged towards Isenara and Zaelith. Meanwhile upon the hilltop Daereth was doing his best to keep two of the great beasts attention, taking heavy slams from their Tusks as a second wrapped him up in their trunk. Bahzel having aided Talindra would move back to support Daereth and Aria, while Aelornas song of courage spread out over the valley, her healing magics knitting Daereths wounds. As Malakar regained his feet Zaelith would be trampled underfoot and knocked unconscious. Talindra would be wrapped up in the 4th mammoths Trunk and struggle to break free. Lightning would spark and crackle around Arias staff as she sent a bolt thru two of the Mammoths fighting Daereth, one would burst as the magic surged thru the creature, showering Daereth and those nearby in a hail of mammoth bits.
Daereth would slip from the mammoths grip with his shadow step and deliver a heavy sword blow. The beast would roar in response its tusk gorging him then its massive head turning to strike Aria. Seeing she was exposed Daereth rolled putting himself between the Mammoth and his Matron, with a groan the tusk would pierce armor and flesh, he would soon collapse. Fortune smiled upon him as an unknown force of fate lifted his injuries and healed his wounds. The Enraged Mammoth would stomp towards Aria but she would evade its heavy feat as Bahzel stepped up to deliver a finishing blow with his hammer. Malakar would summon his new powers as the guardian of the forest and grow in size to that of Giant while the Mammoth matron charged towards the recovering Daereth, Bahzel and Aria. Isenara would shift over free Talindra as both took devastating tusk gouges for their troubles. Aelorna would move down the hill to get closer to Zaelith, knowing he needed healing, sending a blast of needle darts into the Mammoth Matron, the magical adamantine darts sinking deep and creating a gushing bleeding wound. Malakar would thunder forward with heavy steps and deliver the coup de grace upon the Mammoth Matron and turn to strike fear into the heart of the one that remained. Leaving a bleeding Talindra and Isenara the final mammoth would flee.
With a sigh of relief Talindra would heal Zaelith then move to stabalize the matron and the other downed mammoth as their weapons were magically pacified during the fight thanks to Isenara. She would stabalize both then begin her work of surgically removing the blightburn crystal. With Zaeliths aid the crustal would be cut free and lifted with mage hand into a dimensional pouch of Isenara's. Fia would descend into the watering hole and look up to Malakar, "Can you drag this one over the hill?" she would point to the partially detonated corpse of the mammoth Aria had zapped. Malakar still in his Giant form would grab the carcass and drag it away from the watering hole for Fia to begin processing. Aria would shoot a look to Daereth, clearly displeased with his near death experience, he however was quite sanguine about it and was going about patching his wounds and armor. Patching up the subdued mammoths and cleansing the affliction from the blight burn, the expedition would await Fia to finish her work and loading them up with Ivory and Mammoth meat for the trek back.
Two days of hauling packs full of mammoth bits, they would return triumphant to the Bri'Inis village. Aelorna would regale the people with the story of their triumph however most of her performance seemed lost in translation. Daereth would be challenged to a rematch in feats of strength where he would once again triumph over Sciath to the tribal warriors dismay. A feast night of Mammoth steaks and roasts would ensue as more dancing and music were shared by all. Aria and her expedition were granted permission to enter the mountain and in the morning Liath would guide them across the bay, but only in Bri'inis ships.
In the morning the expedition would begin the winding ascent up the great mountain. Aria would note the geology of this place, the mountain extended wide and deeply below the surface, and the top may have one point been a volcano. Hours up the mountain before they arrived at the cave Liath and told them of. Within the wall of stone came to life in the shape of a slow moving elderly woman. Once a member of the Bri'Inish spiritual class, this druidess had become one with the rock and now as the keeper of the entrance. Desiring to be entertained she posed a series of riddles to the expedition, whom after a short deliberation were able to solve her mysteries, and entertain her. She would give careful instructions to only enter the path of Winter, to reopen the alter and to not tred where they were not ment to. "Also when you enter the cold, your breath will mark the path thru shadow..." and with that cryptic clue she would stride slowly from the cave to stretch her legs upon the mountain. Passing beyond the expedition would find a series of tunnels and pathways, each marked with ancient totems of the various realms. Finding the path of winter, Malakar would take the lead as the expedition delved further into the mountain. The stone here was covered in frost as they wound their way down into the deep of the mountain. Eventually they would enter a large open cave, sprawling dozens of miles they would see a massive tree growing within the expansive cave and reaching to the mountain top were light poured in thru the opening of the ancient volcanic vent.
Ahead was a frozen causeway swirling in shadows, the only way to reach the cave upon the other side. Malakar would move forward, the notice the temperature drop, his breath visible. With a frown he would breath about and see it only lead in two directions. Stepping carefully forward he would feel the ground sink in slightly as cold energies rushed from the air beneath the causeway chilling the party to the bone. Stepping back he breathed again and carefully picked his path, the others beginning to follow until Malakar vanished into the shadows and appeared back at the beginning of the bridge. One by one the expedition found themselves in the lead as they tried to follow their breath only to be moved back thru shadow to the start. Marking their trail slowly they picked their way across the bridge and readied themselves for whatever lay ahead in the Altar room.
