Catching up on some adventures!
Fearing for Three Weeping Ravens' safety, and suspecting that Caela may be behind not just his abduction, but other missing people from Eresh, the crew heads into the Forbidden Valley, seeking answers. A short distance into the fog-shrouded woodlands, they meet a team of Two Winds Monks, hell bent on repelling the intruders. Moments later, a bizarre creature joins the battle; a freakish conglomeration of lion and dragon, with deadly spines on its tail. The fight is taxing, but successful, as all but one of the monks (whom fled) is disabled, and the beast is felled.
Descending into the Valley of Storms itself, the team sees more evidence of strange, mutated creatures, likely the product of biomantic experimentation. They soon notice, and carefully circumvent, a tribe of two-headed giants, all of whom seem far less interested in talking than in smashing.
Eventually, they arrive at a small, lonely tower standing alone in an open field. Approaching it, they soon discover that the entire structure is an illusion, covering a pit trap filled with deadly spikes... and deadlier creatures. These arcane "mishaps," melded with ice and groaning in agony, are "survivors" of the previous adventuring party, now turned into weapons. They are hastily dispatched, revealing the doors to a large, subterranean complex.
Exploring outside for a time, the team also finds a glass dome roof, hidden by illusory magic, beneath which seems to be an office or study of sorts. Within, they see the unconscious form of Three Weeping Ravens, bound, and under the watchful eye of Caela herself...
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Without another viable way to enter, the crew heads back to the main door, and carefully removes an arcane run protecting against entry. Once inside, they find a massive biomancy operation, with dozens of small tanks, each holding a separate body under development, along with a massive tank that seems empty.
Their slow progress through the facility is interrupted by a whoosh of wind and a crash of glass, as an elementally-charged minotaur rushes to confront them. Partially made of air, attacks do little to faze it, as it gores and smashes anything in its path, inadvertently releasing the biomantic beasts in the process! The fight is taxing and painful, but a well-aligned confusion spell stops the beast in its tracks long enough for the team to whittle it down to size.
Approaching the office, the crew moves into confront Caela, promptly springing her traps... but some key teamwork and a steady counterattack helps to keep her more focussed on moving, than on attacking. Eventually, she is cornered and pinned, and knocked out by the Paladin.
As quiet finally settles over the facility, the team stops to catch their breath, when everyone begins to feel a low, distant vibration...
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A brief exploration of the Biomancy facility is abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a sudden, inexplicable storm of great localized intensity. As the glass dome shatters, and the ceiling begins to collapse, the entire team hastens to the door. As they climb out into the winds and cold, they spot an impossibly large object high in the skies above, shrouded in wind; something that almost looks like a mile-long creature, with a massive "eye" in the belly watching the events below. Caela seems to have been re-injured during the escape, and perished before aid could be delivered.
Returning to the monastery, Pilus and Longinus greet the heroes, apologizing for Caela's actions, and thanking them for discovering the scope of her treachery. Pilus admits that the biomancy lab was his, and that he was busy building an army to help defend Ostalin, whomever the aggressor became. After hearing the heroes' request, the pair agree to develop a means to access Castle Korstull.
A week later, with an orb to hold back the weather, the crew heads south to hook around the mountains into Sindaire. On the way, they are led, quite unexpectedly, to the hometown of one of their own; a halfling community dealing with the oppressive nature of Khagan Onamdammin's regime.
After replenishing their provisions, they continue the journey into Sindaire. Here, the Ragesian First Army sits as an occupying force, taking what supplies and equipment they need. Mostly ignored, the heroes arrive at the small community of Gathin, where they witness soldiers harassing a group of farmers. When violence seems imminent, they jump to intervene...!
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Offering a number of discordant reasons to talk - requests to parlay, demands to cease violence, and claims of higher authority - the Ragesian military doesn't hold back. Knights and soldiers, along with a mighty hell hound, pounce upon the heroes, who quickly begin to lock down the crew. One by one, they attackers are felled, until only one surviving soldier remains, unconscious.
The farmers are cautious but thankful for the heroes' intervention, and agree to trade an older wagon for some of the Ragesian horses left behind. The team artificer is startled to meet one of her estranged daughters there, but is able to share a few quiet moments of recollection and reconciliation. Upon learning from their prisoner that the First Ragesian Army would doubtlessly be missing them, and would likely send a force to seek retaliation within a few days, the farmers agree to vacate their homes for their own safety; they will attempt to go to Dassen, where land exists for them to start anew.
The journey to Korstull becomes slightly more perilous. As the edge of the fire rainstorm approaches, the orb provides a dome of protection of sorts. Camouflaged lava pools lay in their path, though they seem easy enough to identify. The prisoner is horrified that the heroes are travelling INTO the firestorm, as no one ever comes out of it alive. The heroes are not concerned... not only are they protected (for now), but there are signs of another group that must have passed through here very recently.
Moving into the canyons around Castle Korstull, they see the remains of a terribly well defended fortress, with attack bunkers lining the cliff walls, as they approach an enormous pillar of fire above the entrance to the castle. Through the flames, they see a figure high above for a moment... along with another adventuring party of gnomes and halflings! Their surprise is interrupted, though, with a crash of lightning... and skeletons rising to fight.