PLANTING 2 – The party sets out from Aetos, circling northeast in search of the Pilgrimage Road noted on Whibmistle’s map. Passing the mines east of the City of Iron, they find what appears to be an ancient, overgrown road set with broken marker stones, and begin following it southeast.

A powerful storm springs up, dumping rain and high winds on the party. Scouting the area, they spot a large, stone pavilion in which to take shelter. The pavilion is made from white marble, a stone not indigenous to the area, with bas relieves on either side of the A-frame roof. In the center of the pavilion is a life-size statue of a muscular creature wielding a knife, in a threatening pose. The elements have worn away any details on the features of the statue. In the base of the statue is a large, rectangular basin, also of white marble, but blackened out. The party cannot tell if this is was caused by fire or blood.

PLANTING 3 – After passing an uneasy night under the pavilion, the party sets off the next day under overcast skies through the desolate hills at the foot of the mountains. They begin to see more markers, and the road is in progressively better condition, as the move east; now, the width of a carriage road and made of hard, packed dirt.

Scouting ahead, Page spies a marker atop the next hill silhouetted by the sun, and advances to investigate. Suddenly, the statue moves revealing itself to not be a statue at all, but an orc scout! Page flees to inform the others, the sound of the orc scout’s horn sounding throughout the hills.

The orc band is 300-strong, and immediately rallies to pursue the party. The party has the advantage of being small, but exposed against the drab foothills. Leaving the Pilgrimage Road, the party heads south into a wooded area between two hills, separating and hiding. The orcs are not thrilled to be out during the daytime, even with the sun behind clouds, and quickly pass through the woods.

Zarka finds himself in an overgrown clearing and in its center is an old manor house,overgrown with vines, a gaping hole in its side caused by a fallen tree. A patch of light shines down and illuminates the dusty, Sylvan clearing revealing a study. Zarka, overcome with professional curiosity and needed a place to hide, climbs in through the hole.

Inside, Zarka cannot help but feel that the house is somehow alive or housing a presence; the feeling of being watched is palpable. The air is alive with dust motes; the room feels close, moist, and moldy; the floor is carpeted with thick moss and mold climbs the walls.

Advancing into the twilight room, Zarka pulls out a cloth to cover his mouth and nose against the assaulting, penetrating, cloying, smell of mildew; his footsteps on the swollen floor creating a musical, almost hypnotic creaking sound. That is when he hears chittering and scratching sounds in the dimness ahead.

Venturing into the hallway beyond the study, the sound grows more distinct, four moss goblins appearing to form out of nowhere, their eyes small yellow points of light in the dimness. They immediately set upon Zarka, running full speed along the floor, walls, and ceiling, their chittering in his ears and Zarka panics and attempts to flee.

Running back into the study, Zarka begins to climb out of the hole in the wall, but the hole, and the bole of the tree, are now ringed with thick, thorny, vines. Zarka begins to climb, his palms being pierced by the thorns.

Before Zarka can attain freedom, one of the moss goblins grabs his cloak and pulls him backwards. Zarka unclasps his cloak and frantically throws himself through the hole, driving the splintered wood and thorns deep into his hands, landing on the other side. He scrambles up and runs out of the clearing, the moss goblins left behind, chittering and fighting over the abandoned cloak.

After the orcs pass through, the party reunites and tries to find the Pilgrimage Road but is unable to. Finding shelter in a small cave, Zarka is healed by Piety, but he does not feel very well.

PLANTING 4 – The next day dawns with bright sunshine, giving the party hope. They are able to locate the Pilgrimage Road and the regular markers, but they are all badly damaged, their details eroded.

The Pilgrimage Road leads to a vast chasm at the foot of the closest mountain, leading to the Pass high overhead. The party is faced with a decision: descend into the chasm or take the slender, arching, natural bridge which connects the Pilgrimage Road with Dragonspeak Pass. They opt to take the bridge.

Halfway across the bridge, they encounter an old crone sitting on the floor outside of a slender tower made up of living black birds. The birds occasionally drop food into the bowl in front of the old crone, live rodents or worms, which she devours raw. The bridge widens at this point to accommodate the tower, with walkways proceeding around it.

The crone calls herself Shemara and says she is the rightful owner of the tower, made up of crows and ravens and able to travel wherever the tower’s master wishes. Shemara knows the names of all of the party members and addresses them by name.

She tells the party a long tale about a beautiful and resourceful adventurer who came in possession of an ancient artifact around the time of the Black Tide. She was betrayed by a necromancer named Mredsu who now controls the tower. She tells the party that she knows a secret way into the tower and if the party helps her regain control she will transport them wherever they wish to go. After some internal debate, the party decides to pass, but not before Shemara foretells that Page will be betrayed by a military order and someone she trusts before he life ends.

Horus detects evil from within the tower and feels that this place is somehow connected with his Quest but the party continues onward, the sound of Shemara’s cackling and threats echoing behind them.

Reaching the end of the bridge, the party sees the road leading to the Pass before them, carved into the side of the mountain. Every 50 feet or so is an alcove carved into the rock and within each is the skeleton of a small creature, or perhaps a child, the names etched into stone plaques below each alcove are worn away and unreadable.

Ornan takes the lead, walking his horse onto the winding, steeply ascending pathway, when a landslide blocks the road, nearly killing Ornan. The sound of cackling can be vaguely heard among the din of falling stones and a black bird is spotted flying high in the sky. Trake yells out, “We are still not going to help you!” to the bird. The bird circles twice and then flies off.

The party clears the rubble from the path and proceeds upwards. As the sun begins to set in the west, they finally reach the Pass: a 300-foot long path with a deadly drop to one side. On the far side a tunnel entrance is carved into the rock. Page attaches iron spikes and ropes and the party begins the arduous task of ferrying their equipment and horses along the Pass.

As darkness descends on the mountains, the party gathers inside the tunnel entrance, clearly carved by skilled hands, and proceeding downwards into the blackness. Within their light they can see the walls are lined with more alcoves. The tunnel itself is 10ft wide but only 7ft high. The party makes camp just inside the entrance.