Alastor Crossclaw – blogpost 18

Where should we take your belongings?” we ask Glyster. He responds, “We can bring them to our tavern. However, there are always threats to my hoard.” We inquire about Vanrak, to which Glyster reveals that he took his own life, unable to cope with the overwhelming darkness.

Curious about our task, we ask Glyster what needs to be done. He informs us that we must cleanse the level, as there are evil creatures near the dragon hoard, but reassures us that it is nothing we cannot handle. He mentions the presence of cloakers in particular.

Before embarking on our mission, Mohan heals us, ensuring we are prepared for the upcoming battle. We make our way to the dragon hoard, where an altar dedicated to Shar awaits us. Glyster takes the lead, approaching the altar. As he draws nearer, something ripples, and with calm determination, Glyster declares, “NOW, the darkness will be vanquished by the light,” activating the sunblade. The ripple breaks open, and a swarm of cloakers emerges.

We all ready our attacks, but it is the white mage who is the most prepared. Unleashing chained lightning, he targets all the cloakers, instantly bringing down one of them. Glyster, wielding the sunblade, becomes the focus of two cloakers. With a swift strike, he cleaves one in two, while the other loses its wings and falls to the ground. Mohan circles around Glyster, avoiding any accidental collisions.

I contribute by using sacred flame to take down the final cloaker. “Quick! The altar!” someone calls out. We realize the need to destroy the altar swiftly, before more creatures emerge from the rift it holds. The altar remains black and shadow-filled. Grond and Farryn approach the altar to launch an attack. “Only radiant!” Glyster warns.

The moment they touch the altar, they vanish. Confused, we ask, “Where are Farryn and Grond?” The reply comes swiftly, “In an extradimensional prison.” The white mage channels chained lightning once more, and with the aid of the sunblade, Glyster joins in to complete the destruction of the altar. Almost instantly, Farryn reappears, standing atop the demolished altar. He has been freed.

Glyster gazes at the pile of treasures, feeling regret for the lives of the adventurers who may have perished while attempting to reach the hoard or were plundered along the way. Mohan proposes returning the hoard to the people or their families, and Glyster expresses curiosity about how that could be achieved. Mohan suggests using magic for the task, mentioning Portia as a possible starting point. Glyster recalls the painful moment when Portia was tempted by the hoard’s evil, but acknowledges that she was eventually freed. “That is nice,” Glyster remarks.

We spend a considerable amount of time figuring out how to carry all the treasures from the dragon hoard. As we navigate the area, we notice two statues: one representing Keresta to the east and another depicting Shar with daggers to the west. Glyster comments on the abundance of electrum scattered on the floor before proceeding to tear up a painting of Keresta and Shar while proclaiming, “Purge the darkness.” Farryn suggests destroying the statues, but Glyster advises against it.

Deciding it’s time to head to Waterdeep, Glyster expresses the desire to breathe in fresh air. Farryn jokingly asks him to vomit into a bucket, leaving Glyster puzzled. We make our way to the base and exit through a painting, finding ourselves on the streets of Waterdeep early in the morning. Glyster takes a deep breath, relishing the feeling of being in the city. We assure him that he is always welcome here.

Glyster then asks for assistance in finding House Moonstar. Concerned about whether the family will recognize him, he mentions that they are likely still searching for Vanrak. “A bronze dragon they won’t forget,” Glyster remarks. We accompany him to the house, feeling a sense of scrutiny as we walk through the streets. Perhaps our uneasiness stems from the fact that we are carrying the dragon hoard.

As we pass by people on the street, I catch glimpses of my own reflection. In the corner of my eye, I appear as the shadowfell version of myself, but when I look directly, I see my normal self, much like the reflection in a fountain. Farryn, feeling self-conscious, approaches someone and asks for their honest opinion on his appearance. The person appears scared, but Farryn pays them and insists on the truth. They respond hesitantly, mentioning that he looks like a scary gnome that gives them chills.

To ease the tension, I start playing my lyre, creating a brighter atmosphere and making people feel more at ease. The music lightens the mood as we arrive at House Moonstar. Glyster knocks on the door, but there is no immediate answer, leaving us perplexed. 

The butler informs us that House Moonstar is not currently located here and that they reside in the Sea Hoard. We learn that we need to head further north to an old villa, which is known to be elusive and has a large gate. Glyster takes the lead, opening the gate and approaching the villa’s door while instructing us to wait outside.

Mohan expresses concern about the situation and asks what we should do if something goes wrong. Glyster explains that in such a case, the money should be used for Selûne. The White Mage asks if his manifest mind can accompany him, but Glyster hesitates, considering the bad news he has to deliver. However, since the manifest mind is quiet, Glyster allows it to come along.

Glyster eventually manages to convince the servant to let him inside the villa. We receive updates through the manifest mind, learning that it is a sizable estate. Inside, Glyster meets Lady Moonstar, a delicate-looking woman. He shares the news of Vanrak’s fall and his own descent into evil, expressing his inability to restore the Moonstar name. Lady Moonstar reveals that her grandmother had foretold this day and that they had given up hope, leading them to sever ties with the dark part of the Moonstar family. They moved away from the city due to the pain it caused them. Lady Moonstar expresses her joy at Glyster being saved from darkness.

The conversation continues, delving into Vanrak and the history of House Moonstar. Suddenly, Mohan exclaims, “Quick cross, play the song!” I start singing the requested song, and we continue playing music for a while. Farryn and the White Mage create a rope trick for themselves to discuss for a while.

During this time, Mohan shares his observation that darkness and desecration seem to be spreading around us, possibly brought from Shar and the shadow level. The longer we stay in the area, the flowers begin to wither and die. We wonder if we are cursed or if we have become an anchor for the shadowfell. It becomes clear that we need Glyster’s presence. I call out for Glyster, repeating his name urgently. “Glyster, Glyster, Glyster, Glyster, Glyster- we need you!”

At some point, Glyster excuses himself from the conversation with Lady Moonstar, expressing that he is needed elsewhere. He takes his leave and exits the scene.

Realizing that we need to go to a temple, we decide to go together as a group. The journey on foot takes approximately 45 minutes. As we approach the temple, we hear the continuous ringing of bells, signaling mourning. Outside the temple, we see a person in lavish attire who introduces themselves as Silvar, the protector of the temple and a paladin. Silvar informs us that Luna, the oracle, has fallen. She was a great leader who was attacked by people from Shar.

Desperate to help, we inquire if there is anything we can do. Silvar explains that in order to receive their assistance, we need to rid ourselves of the darkness and return to the light. The temple must be cleansed of the signs of Shar. We offer our help, but Silvar clarifies that the task of clearing the temple is assigned to the priests. Luna is believed to be lost forever, but Silvar managed to defend himself against the attackers.

Expressing our desire to bring Luna back, we learn that the vampire spawn we encountered earlier is one of the creatures involved in the attack. Silvar recalls Keresta mentioning spreading the darkness of Shar during our battle with her. It seems that their plan has been fulfilled.

We recall a map of Waterdeep with five crosses on it, indicating that the spawns have likely targeted important individuals within the city. Wanting to check a few other temples quickly, Mohan and I head to one temple, while Farryn and the White Mage go to another.

Unfortunately, at the temple Mohan and I visit, we find another sign of Shar and evidence of a murder. It appears that we were too late to prevent the tragedy. Another cross from the map has been killed, and a ceremony is taking place. There are guards and priests from the temple of Lathander, led by Serafine. Deciding not to disturb them, we make our way back to Glyster.

Suddenly, Patience appears with a “POP,” startling us. Mohan summarizes everything that has transpired for Patience, and together we return to Glyster. As we walk, we come across Farryn and the White Mage, reuniting as a complete group once again.

At the other temple that The White Mage and Farryn visited, an attack was successfully avoided thanks to the efforts of two individuals who managed to save the day. Fortunately, both of them survived. The story was told to them by one of the survivors, a very arrogant paladin.

To locate one of the possibly turned spawns, Mohan uses his abilities to track the creature’s whereabouts. He successfully locates one of the spawns to the north, but it is almost out of reach. Mohan decides to fly in that direction, and the rest of us, including Farryn riding on Grond next to me, follow along on foot.

We make our way to the designated location and come across a small graveyard with some catacombs. Determined, we enter the catacomb where the spawn is believed to be hiding. Attempting to be stealthy, our sneaking doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.

Descending further into the catacomb, we find a spare niche where we discover two vampire spawns resting, their hands placed on their chests. Farryn and I position ourselves on opposite sides and simultaneously drive our spears through the vampires’ hearts. The vampires gasp for breath as their eyes open wide, but moments later, they are lifeless.

Using sacred flame, we ensure that the vampires are thoroughly burned away. However, the realization hits us—there must be more spawns that need to be killed. We understand the urgency and the importance of finding and eliminating the remaining threats.