Deciding not to try and follow the retreating broken ones the group headed again to the southwest toward the monastery. After 5 miles or so the land started to slowly rise and the jungle again gave way to grasslands. Soon they arrived at a cliff rising several hundred feet above them. Far above the heights of the mountain's gray sides disappear into low, sinister looking clouds. At the base of the cliff a great bronze tube some 10 feet tall was partially buried in the ground, canted slightly at the base of the mountain. The tube bears a raised impression of a figure in robes with a high collar, carrying a box. The face of the figure has been worn away over time.
Seglun was boosted up the the end of the tube by Baru. Peering inside the hollow tube she saw nothing but the ground and the far end. Standing on the top she found no other markings on the tube anywhere. Grunyar wondered if they could try another approach. Baru suggested perhaps they could come in from the ocean on the south side. Ralom looked at the map "It seems as though the cliff runs at least 15 miles east and west from here, I'm not sure we can reach the beach if there is one." Seglun tried climbing the vertical escarpment with little luck, she would advance 10 feet up and then fall back to the bottom, Varrid suggested that another path could exist but she could spot nothing resembling a path. Discussion continued with Ralom suggesting a traipse to the east. The clouds broke for an instant and the group could see an wooden overhang in an L shape far above. At the corner of the L appeared to be a basket of some sort.
Tiring of the discussion Seglun struck the tube with her sword, causing a deep sound that resonated off the valley floor upward. After a few minutes the basket started to lower towards the group. Arvien send Summergale to view the top of the basket for possible monks readying an attack but Summergale raised no alarm. After 10 or 15 minutes the basket reached the floor of the plain. The entire group piled onto the basket and watched the rope attempt to pull the basket upwards. The rope tightened and relaxed a few times but the wicker basket did not move. Baru decided that the weight of the party was too much for the mechanism to lift and jumped off. Ralom said that Baru shouldn't stay here alone and he jumped off the basket also. At the point the basket started to rise. After about 30 minutes the lift stopped about 50 feet below the overhang. After 4 or 5 minutes the basket again stared to rise and stopped at a place level with the floor of an overhanging wooden balcony. Spotting a door into the western wall of the balcony Seglun and Varrid moved toward it while the others peered over the sides into space below. Arvien spotted a window on the south wall and quickly peered into a large room dominated by a winch mechanism. The door was unlocked but took some effort to push open where Seglun and Varrid moved into a large empty room. The winch mechanism dominated the north end while there was a door and a stairway heading south. On the west wall were several barrels, crates and boxes. Arvien move into the room and started checking the barrels and crates. Seglun moved to the winch and tried to operated it to lower the basket but found that she could not operated it by herself. Drovic joined her and the two were able to lower the basket for Ralom and Baru. In the 30 minute interval Arvien found barrels of salted fish, spoiled, crates of rotted foodstuffs and kegs of vinegar. The markings on the barrels indicated they were from Mordentshire, which no one had heard of.
Reaching the balcony Ralom cast detect magic but found no magic on the basket, winch or any other part of the buildings. While the balcony was made of wood the winch house seemed to be plastered ( now cracking in various places) with fired brick beneath, the roof made of fired clay visible inside the winch house, inside the floors were made of stone tiles. Seglun started down the stairs while Ralom looked out a window near the southern door, he could make out around three other buildings to the south and west. Seglun continued down a hallway at the bottom of the stairs which led to an open arch into a structure surrounding a open hole in the middle of the floor. Around the four sides of the railing were bookcases filled with books. Light was provided by crystal globes hung from the ceiling. The lamps gave off a soft, diffused glow from the milky translucent globes. In the southeast corner was a spiral staircase. Baru peered over the railing and saw another balcony 20 feet below with a smaller hole in the floor which led to stone floor a further 20 feet below that. Varrid and Seglun started reading the titles of the books on the cases. They found The tale of the Blue Lamp, The tale of the Halo, The tale of the Serpent, The tale of the Key, The tale of the Tapestry of Dark Souls, and others of a like genre. The tales told of orders guarding these evil items in Mordenshire, Sithicus, Darkon and Barovia. Also there were mentions of Azlin, Vlad Drakov and Strahd. There were multiple copies of the books sometimes with differing tales. Seeing these Seglun and Varrid immediately began searching for The tale of the Table which Varrid found. Seglun pulled out a book entitled The History of Markovia and they both sat down to read. (See the post History of Markovia for the contents of these two books.)
"Hello to the Honored Guests!" said a hearty bass voice, splitting the silence of the Monastery. Through the south door of the library came a priest, his heavy robes billowed around him as he moved, making him resemble nothing so much as a storm cloud of massive nature and singular intent. His hood was down, and the light played across his smiling features. He was gray-haired but hearty, almost sprightly, in his movements. "Welcome to our monastery! Have you come to join the brotherhood?" Baru answered in the negative, while Ralom considered the possibility. "I am Father Milhouse, Abbot of this monastery. Shall we move to the Hall of Contemplation to talk?" The party agreed with this suggestion and followed Father Milhouse out the door and then to the east to another building. Grunyar noted that the buildings were all of the same construction while Ralom tarried behind to detect any magic of which he found none, although he noted possible root cellar, steps leading down to a door near the Hall of Contemplation. There were several monks in the Hall, hoods covering cadaverous and gray faces. Father Milhouse asks that they leave the Hall so that conversation can be had. The monks leave without replying. Varrid asks about the monks "Do they not speak?" Father Milhouse replies that they have taken a vow of silence and can only speak at meal time, where the days activities are shared. There were several desks in the Hall where transcription is being done of various sections of The History of Markovia. Arvien can't help herself and asks "Why is all the food spoiled in the winch house?" Father Milhouse responded that although the brothers have been affect by skinrot and other previously unknown tropical diseases, they have been blessed by the Gods with not having to eat to sustain themselves. "Rot, all Rot" exclaimed Grunyar from the back of the Hall. At this point a monk Sister Gamaliel entered the Hall and indicated to Father Milhouse that it was time for dinner in the Hall of Necessity.
Father Milhouse remembers when the monastery was part of a larger land, far inland. The land was so evil that the Gods sunk it beneath the waves, leaving them the only survivors. He knows nothing of Delphi, Orson, Felix or even the creature called Akanga. He suggested that they visits the first level of the library to see maps from the ancient times. After dining the monks next headed for the Temple building, the largest building of the complex for Vespers. The party accompanied them to grand double doors of heavy oak covered with two large metal plates, each plate depicting the symbol of the Order. Inside the bulk of the Temple consisted of low benches facing a platform on a dais. The walls were plain and unadorned. Doors led out to the east and west at either end of the dais. Behind the dais was the symbol of the Order, with Father Milhouse's face represented as the monk holding the box. Center most on the dais was an 8 foot by 4 foot slab of greenish-black marble shot through with thin veins of gold. It rested on a small altar of gray stone. The entire area of the altar radiated a soft, milky glow. Milhouse and the monks spent the time until dusk in silent contemplation, at which Grunyar recoiled.
At dusk two monks, Sister Gamaliel and Brother Sime, led the party to the first floor of the library which was filled with great tables, upon which rested innumerable scrolls and maps. There was an old map of the mainland Core and maps of surrounding areas of the Core, along with city maps of major cities.
Ralom's detect magic found six magic scrolls among the tables and floor. Which was covered to at least a foots depth. Drovic and Arvien looked through scrolls which were various pronouncements and declarations from various rulers, histories and rambling letters. At sunset the monks indicated that all must leave and led the group to a two-story building with a steeply slanting roof at the rear of the campus. Inside the building was lined with door-less cells, housing low cots and stools. The group was led to the upper level and given two north facing rooms where they retired to discuss the events of the day.
DMs Notes: The party earned 450XP for the nights adventures and now have 2800 XP, needing 200 more to reach 2nd level. We will meet at Leo's on Sunday and Dave will bring refreshments.
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