Temple to the North

 

Objective

Durella mentioned that there is a temple to the north that contains flowers that are highly valuable for her potions. These flowers only grow on consecrated ground, but I've got the impression that this temple may be dangerous based on our conversations in the past. We wish to go and collect these materials to help Durella, and scout this temple. Hopefully whatever she can craft will be of value to the camp, and maybe this temple will have addition value to the camp.    

Observations

- Particular thicket that is west of the capital that we noticed was odd. Might be worth to investigate if we’re in the area   - Older man who tried to cheat the maze was gone on our way back. Potentially gambling in the capital? Watch out for Beak Andrew Wellington.   - There is a set of interweaving paths before the church – follow the one that has a well worn dirt path   - This is an old temple to the first circle that seems to have been abandoned   o Could we clean up this temple, and find people to help manage it and bring it back to its past glory?   - It seems that this flower needs regular trimming and pruning to avoid it becoming chaotic   o In a month or two (game time) we may want to go back and trim it again (unless we achieve the previous point).   o Important conclusion we came to – don’t be greedy in the temple or take anything.   - The flowers seem to grow on the head of some sort of plant monster? Trimming the leaves of the flower seems fine, but taking the flowers, seems to have angered it, and caused it to attack us.   - After defeating the plant monster, we reburied the plant monster/ball of roots that were part of it. Make sure you leave the plant was secure, and in a place to continue to grow.   - Noticed the ruins in the distance of a tower as we head south back to the main road from the temple. These ruins are south of this temple -- south of the western road. Travel west on the road from the capital toward Blackstone, just past the northern main road to Whiterock, around the curve, and look south instead of north (which is to the temple)  

Follow up

Aceso will provide the ingredients collected to Durella

Preparation Details

Information from Durella:   -----------------------------------  

Temple is:

- a bit far.   - halfway between the capital and Blackstone   - a full days ride to get there and back on decent horses.       just pass the turn for Whiterock, then go around a curve, then north off the trail, and you'll get to the temple.       - Flower: seems to darken the area around it; everything near it dims, so it appears to glow   - template is dangerous, the plants don't like to be picked   - plants might have grown into something larger?   - as much as we can get... the flower is most important, but more the better  

Operation Details

made our way north, but lost our way

- Aceso planned to go west and then north on the High King's Road, but we wound up heading north... I think  

Aceso got lost despite several trips this direction

   

eventually Tavvok took over

    3 hours, find a more major road winding north  

sun is well in the sky, whisky clouds in the sky

    If you strain your eyes, you will see in a greater distance   - the capital; showered in sun from above   - activity on the road ahead       Quicker pace now.   - see Caer Callidyrr   - get to the city   - go around the edge of the city to the west side   - head west on the major path   - looking for the major north turn to White Rock           - particular thicket that was odd.   - a couple 100 feet off to the north   - decided to ignore it and press on   - can still see the capital behind us in the distance       - see another road going to the north (must be the White Rock)   - had to double back a few times   - frustrating... just can't find this place       finally find a very prominent feature in the woods   - almost a golden air in the forest   - brambles seem to avoid it   - warmest it's felt all day on this face   - almost a haze in the day       Tempest sees someone in the distance; had a fiddle?   Tavvok rides up and says hello to the old man:   - told him we're lost   - third group that walked past him today   - no one has come back yet...       What kind of temple is it?   - ancient church   - rumour is it's full of treasure   - people just get lost   - old man went in, but got lost   - it's a bit of a maze   - maze will punish you if you try to cheat; blinding light while you try to cheat, then ended up back at the entrance (old man tried to cheat…)   - people do die here... but people have solved the maze before   - he's been here for about a week; had a camp setup on this road to the temple   - going to eventually go to the capital to gamble   - name:   Beak Andrew Wellington       - Aceso's general conclusion: don't be greedy!       - the other groups   - 3 ugly fellers; young; brothers   - a “cute couple” matching adventuring gear       later afternoon:   - this plant/hedge maze funnels you in one direction   - unnatural   - bulbus plant on the left   - thick vine; stoat; low to the group   - almost like a gullet of a frog   - split at the top of it   - glistens immediately   - entire filled with nectar   - body in the brambles just north of it.   - this body   - reaching into the brambles   - trying to take a shortcut; was it trying to cheat?   - up against this bright light       1. path north:  

seems less travelled

a few trees on the path that have fallen that you'd need hop over or duck under

    2. path south: (we chose this path)  

seemed like more tracks

a more travelled path

   

seems like a kid with oxidized armor with his face bit off.

        another bulbus plant as we round a corner   - sunlight rolls around inside it      

hear slithering of almost snakes behind us

the place is filling in; roots of the trees are presenting themselves. vines and things

walls are closing behind us

    2.1. east:   unknown       2.2. east:   unknown           A picnic table is on the trail   - rotted out   - rations and things left   - equipment - bedroll, etc.   - we thought it might be a trap       2.3 south-east:   - heard a scuffle in this direction   - something clawing at the light / vines, and burning itself as it did it   - dark skin   - didn't approach       2.4 north-east:   - didn't go here       2.5 north-west:   - went down this path   - darker above us but not around us   - eventually we see the outside of a building       Tavvok basically followed the "dirt path".       Vines cover the outside of this building   - fair amount of blood on the staircase (dry)   - sobbing echoing throughout this place       go up staircase (entrance)   - female voice   - goes silent as we round the corner   - see a woman up against the wall with a severed body in her lap, and a body beside her.   - she is very opaque (?)   - neatly trimmed beard on the head; middle aged man       the lady:   she was in here for all the wrong reasons   - this place is picked clean   - we killed so much shit, and then he went and lost her head       we asked what happened to you?   - gremlin thing, killed it and then others came   - killed them   - then these crazy plants attacked   - “cutting grass” for a while; her lover got poisoned at some point… then suddenly something cut his head off   - vines and things   - some clowns up ahead of us; they had a sack of gold...   - ran into the forest   - sounds like some of them may have died before escaping       we head north and it's a large chamber   - paths that line around the sides, and a sunken center   - a grassy/garden center, stairs on the east/west, with a flower in the middle of an island surrounded by 4-inch clear water   - Statues on all 4 sides on the paths   tall commoner holding a dish   - nubs of used torches   - put a coin in each dish       We see images of things on the walls:   - depictions of a flower       - distinct shape of this flower   - Cutting, Pruning, deadheading and Trimming   - what swirls around these images; lightning   - when it has many leaves   - but when they are all pruned   - imagery around it; calm and peaceful       - different seals.   - waterfall into a still pond   - symbol of Eldath   - snowflake   - claw marks inside a seal   - symbol of a wave       - Temple for the first circle           Hearing a tapping:   - rapping on a chamber door   - finger nails of an animal       Aceso warns them of the images   - pruning it is going to cause issues   - lightning in the images   - need to be ready for it once we start       we decide to check the tapping to the north first   - bloods a bit fresher   - no immediate activity in the area   - more disheveled   - a few different stone table   - parchment   - wine stained and weathered   - scratching has since stopped as soon as we entered the room       From what see in the images around the temple:   1. Seems to have everyone present   2. See that some sort of disruption around it when left untended   3. nothing like what we see down below   4. needs a prune job? seems like that is the case      

Going to take all the leaves (like the images), except for one

and 2 of the 3 flowers; leave the healthiest one

    Make our way to the center.   - Tempest jumps to the island avoiding the water   - Both Aceso and Tempest's herbalism kit had NO affect   - hilted weapon in every image... does it need to be magical?   - Tempest was able to barely able to get a leaf with her normal knife       - noticed it getting colder   - 10 minutes pass   - one broad leaf at the bottom left, rest pruned   - 3 plumes (flowers)   - told Tempest to cut two of the plums   - leave the healthiest of the three       She cuts one of the flowers:   - very sugary smell becomes strong   - sap gets on her fingers       Flower creature erupts from the groups to reveal a massive flower creature!   - Tempest still has a full flower in her hand   - placed in her pocket      

large vine monster and two small vine monsters

        Once the large one died, Tempest went up and picked another flower... leaving the single healthiest flower on the head of this monster.               After defeating all the creatures... the water is now over the flow.  

vegetation has now multiplied

    Tempest re-arranged the plant so it's upright out of the water, re-burying it roots, and setting it up so it will survive. Basically, rebuilding that little island in the center of the water.   - after about 20 minutes, the soil is where it needs to be, and it looks good to go.   - Tempest has all the leaves and 2 flowers bottled.       Wife and body of husband are gone -- bloody streak...       the bulbus plant has lost most of its shape, and is now open   - no longer open           the maze is now duller now:   - the light from above has a bit of cloud   - temperature is back to what you would expect   - see through the trees very well   - still very matted           Made our way back to where our horses were outside.   Horses are drenched but are fine.      

almost nightfall as we return from the maze

ruins in the distance of a tower as we head south back to the main road

- many bats fly into the distance   - this tower is south of this temple, south of the western road   - so west on the road from the capital toward Blackstone, just past the northern main road to Whiterock, but south instead of north (which is to the temple)   - might be worth exploring          

noticeable rib of orange light in the west (sunset)

    Make our way east on the road back toward the capital.  

we travel back past the capital, and then south

- heading straight back to camp      

arrive back at the fort, looks quite late

- 11pm       MJR Rem:  

Those are special ingredients indeed.

Aegir or someone had showed him this previously in a book... some sort of ingredient

        Aceso would take the 2 plants, and several lives in vials from Tempest for Durella.