The last thing our heroes heard was “No time to explain!” and they were suddenly falling through blackness. After several confusing seconds they landed in a pile in an old cabin.
As they untangled themselves they discovered that something was very wrong. In this place the color was gone from nearly everything, the was no smell and sound was noticeably muffled. A sense of gloom hung thickly in the air. Our heroes searched the cabin and found that it was covered in a thick layer of dust as if untouched for at least 100 years.
Outside the group could see rolling hills of grey in all directions. The grass underneath their feet seemed to melt into ash on contact. The only major landmark was a dark twisted castle resting among a group of sharp rock shards pointed to the sky almost like a jagged crown at it’s base.
Just beyond the group they could see a small group of humanoids shambling along the hillside. As one turned in their direction it’s jaw was hanging loosely from it’s face, this was a small pack of feral zombies, but not very observant ones, the group easily stayed beyond the zombie’s notice as they made for a nearby graveyard that had a broken mausoleum in it. Inside the group found and killed 6 zombies, they weren’t hardy or deadly creatures. The group found a few small items of interest inside.
Next the group moved toward the castle in the distance. Keljor notices a very large padlock holding the gate shut, Kerzha is gaging the strength of this gate… it’s tough and well built, but OLD… it’d probably be possible to break into, Fern is gauging the possible climb over the gate and realizing that it is fixed with blades in Hooks at the top and would be very deadly to try to climb. Agnes begins to hear a moaning sound rising she realizes that there are dozens of undead moving closer to the group, and dozens more beginning to dig themselves out of the earth. The group rapidly approaching the gate as Kerzha slams into it and with two resounding smashes she breaks the lock and latch letting the group slip inside before this mob of undead gathers at the gate. The group works together to secure the gate closed and wedge it so that the dead cannot enter.
looking around the courtyard there are four large planters filled with ashy dead flowers, there are three large towers leaning slightly away from the center of the courtyard, Each tower has a crest above its door, the first one shows a tree limbs and leaves eventually enter a cloud in the sky, the second one shows an avalanche on a mountain side, and the third one shows a spiny porcupine-like a beast with claws and fangs. The Statue in the middle of the courtyard catches everyone’s case. Most everyone in the group notices at the statue looks quite a bit like Loris. Although Loris notices that the statue looks quite a bit like her mother. The statue is made out of a darker, smoother, possibly newer stone than anything else in this courtyard.
As your group inspects the statue it becomes infused with a swirling dark energy that breaks the stone statue at it’s joints and calls out “The darks will consume you!” and begins to attack. During the fight the creature seemed to be very weakened by bright radiant light. After a fierce combat with this statue as it finally crumbles and collapses you can see a latch on the stone step that it was standing on. Immediately opening the latch to a well hidden stone staircase that descends into the darkness below.
The space below is a huge looming rectangular space with columns that reach from floor to ceiling. The entire room is filled with webs some of the webs are almost as thick as rope. There are possibly dozens of small spiders skittering away at the edge of the light around everyone. Tubs asks a nearby spider about the place the spider mentions it’s mother and a woman trapped in the next room.
The party decides to carefully navigate the room with minimal disturbance of the webs. In the next room they discover a woman suspended a foot or so off of the ground with three magical shadow-chains. Her skin is very pale and her eyes are swirling pools of darkness. She looks weak and thin.
Loris immediately rushes up to her calling her “Mom” and “Camelle”, Camelle’s expression was confused at first, then a wave of recognition rolled over her features, followed quickly by fear. She warned Loris that a being called “UnUnDrathog” was at work in this shadow world AND in Loris’ world, that he had grown far beyond his normal limits and was throwing both worlds into imbalance. The key to stoping UnUnDrathog was to break the chains that bound Camelle by entering the three towers and destroying the anchors of the chains using either a “Celestial soul” or a “Demonic Totem”. She says these are both powerfully destructive items. Loris asked how her mom came to be here and her mother claimed that she was captured by a man named Craven WhiteClaw. Camelle is being used for her speciality in healing Magics to “feed” UnUnDrathog. Your group can vaguely connect Craven WhiteClaw to “The Scarecrow” a mythical thieves-guild leader from Kingsport. Loris gave her mother a sending stone and vowed to return and free her then as she turned away she ended the spell that was keeping everyone in Shadowfell. The group began to fall upwards into blackness for several seconds and then find themselves back where they had left… In a dark room at the apex of a devilish pyramid in The Great Tangle.
The group found a lever that opened the roof and descended back down to find Prescott all alone just beyond the main entrance. Prescott was convinced to wait until morning before calling Doomokos back to the clearing to collect his crystal.
The group took the evening to share stories with Prescott and discuss their plans for this meeting with Doomokos.