The Hidden Cure of Teziir

Characters: Cheynar, Illdric, JadeBlade, Janora, Torvic

NPCs: Theo Miltan

Synopsis: At the Smelted Horse, Janora gathers together several transplants of the Adventurers Guild of Threshold. The ranger has used her connections to uncover a cruel plot of the thieves guild of Teziir, the Astorians. Her contact, Theo Miltan, has cast his personal vote of no confidence in his superiors, as the mid-tiered Astorian needs their help to secure the most valuable treasure in all the city. Squirrelled away in an Astorian hideout several miles outside of the city is a plethora of antidotes for the Blood Veil disease that has clutched the citizens of Teziir in its death grip. More than 50 vials of the cure are within a hideout nestled high above in a grand evergreen approximately ten miles outside of the city. Theo Miltan has abandoned the chain of command and directs the group to the whereabouts of the Astorian lair. What good is a thieves guild in a dead city anyways?

The map is true as the group finds the massive tree standing in the snow-fallen forest. Nested in its branches some 150 feet up is a multi-layered wooden structure. But it is only minutes before the magic sounds of an unseen performer woo Cheynar and Illdric, beckoning them to the tree. With a fair amount of snow from the ground and cotton from the cold weather gear, the group subverts the songmaker and retrieve their enchanted allies. From up above a winged, scale-covered female descends to attack the trespassers. The party destroys the creature with speed and authority. Using the perchased potions of levitating, the group gains access to the compound through a trap door in the lowest level.

The decision is made to lay waste to any obstacles and get the antidote vials before the magic dissipates. Investigating their options, the party moves into a room swarming with dire rats. With targets aplenty the group moves in, obliterating the sea of filth. As the warriors do their bit, the newest member Torvic, cleric of Kelemvor, advances up a ladder to the next level. Scattered among the crates and barrels are several human bodies in various forms of decay, pieces of their body partially missing. Something has decided to dine on these poor victims. Torvic recognizes that their souls have vacated the material plane and animates the bodies to help him search for the vials.

Below the dire rat swarm has been annihilated and the group catches up to the cleric, only to find him under the sway of the most beautiful tune they have ever heard. So fine in the quality of performance that only Janora fails to appreciate the talent. In a trance everyone save for the ranger moves to the next room to provide an audience for the musicians. It is a blow to the head that jolts the group from the mesmerizing performance. Distrubed at the ruse, they attack two more of the winged bitches. It is a warrior’s performance matching the greatest symphony ever constructed that JadeBlade’s dwarven war axe handed down to him from his grandfather finds its target. The chop sends the beast hurling into the wall, end its life several times over. The display is beauty to the warrior as he steps up and crushes the second.

The investigation concludes when they find a thrashed bedroom converted to a nest for the last creature. Strike after strike, the beast is massively overwhelmed and falls to the blade. In the room beyond the group discovers an abandoned crate, 50 vials inside and intact. As the levitating magic fades the group secures their find and vacates the Astorian lair. Their recovery of the vials of Bloodveil antidote may be the first step to saving Teziir.

Encounters: sentry harpy, swarm of dire rats, harpy siblings, harpy matron

Achievements: infiltrated the ruined hideaway of the Astorians, destroyed the squatting family of harpies, and retrieved the vials containing the supposed cure for the Blood Veil disease rampaging through Teziir.