Recap #15 - The Pillars of the Night

• When leaving the village Glasur tells the group that he thought he saw something behind them along the treeline. He couldn’t tell what it was but he wasn’t concerned since the brush was so dense that no one could follow them on foot.
• Turns out he was wrong. Their pursuer caught up with them two night later – it was Jaryn’s companion Dajani.
• The Tielfing Darkblade turned out to be a tough battle on his own. He teleported frequently and was able to turn invisible. In the end though the party subdued him and tried to get information.
• They hadn’t really gathered much other than defiant rantings about the power of Naarash when the tielfing teleported away and disappeared. (But not before he was relieved of his boots of striding and some monetary rewards.
• Two days later Glasur tells the group that his vessel can not take them any closer. He instructs them that they have 1 day to go on foot. He would wait for them for 1 week.
• The group was able to make it along the path dressed in the garb of their fallen enemies. The next day they reached their long-awaited goal – The Pillars of the Night.
• For being savage, the throng living on the temple grounds was rather trustworthy. With a little bluffing and diplomacy the PCs were able to fit right in. Over the next few days they learned that the people here were being trained in military skills. They were an army in training. They also learned that those whose skills and prowess impressed the “wardens” were sought out for the “Rite of the Eye”. i.e. For recruitment into a deathsquad.
• They also learned the following:

• “I was here when Jaryn was dragged up the Black March in chains. I was
  here, too, when he stood atop the Dark Stairs as the Voice of Naarash.”

  “Jaryn and Larkazh met between the river and the Black March. Two dozen
  of Bane’s best against the paladin and his tiefling, and in the end, Larkazh was
  the only one standing.”

  “Larkazh’s two brothers were cut down by Jaryn’s own hand. He brought
  Jaryn and Dajani back alive and to the inner temple, a sacrifice to Bane. Come morning, Jaryn walks out, Dajani one step behind him, and Larkazh’s head is in Jaryn’s hand.”

  “Everything changed under Jaryn. Used to be, the death squads ran the
  temple, killed each other as fast as they could. Jaryn got them under control
  and made them an army.”

  “The enclave at Adakmi will be the start of it. The eathens will be
  nailed to their own walls and their citadel made the staging ground for Bane’s
  armies as they move south.”

  “Jaryn might look human, but he’s not. Bane’s blood flows in those
  veins. The chosen one, he is.”

  “The fall of Nerath was the first sign. The gods of light have been
  broken and have left this world to Bane. The dark god’s hand squeezes shut, and when it opens, only the chosen will remain.”

  “Bane’s voice speaks through Jaryn, and his word welcomes the darkness
  of a new age. He is the god arisen, Naarash’s heir. The strong shall inherit
  this world, while the weak shall fall before them and be lost."

• 4 days later they were approached by the wardens and informed that they would be taking the Rite of the Eye in the morning.
• As the group was ascending the steps in the morning a cry rang out from behind them. It was the escaped doppelganger on horseback screaming to “Stop the imposters!”. The group quickly ascended the stairs and slammed the temple doors shut, barring them.
• The group had nowhere to go but into the depths of the temple.
• Up the first stairs they came across two doors – Hall of Faith and Hall of Warriors. The Hall of Faith was magically locked so the group entered the door on the left. Inside they encountered animated suits of armour called Steel Keepers. After a hefty battle the group reduced the tin cans into piles of rubbish. They also found a secret door into a hall beyond.
• Going left led to a caved in hall. Going left led them to a door. All along the hall were ancient writings in Giant. One area was recently plastered and written over with goblin runes.
• To the south the group found a door. Ethan unlocked it but set off the Glyph of Warding. Inside the room were 3 zombie hulks. This battle proved to be quite a challenge for the group – especially when the zombie rose again after falling the first time. However in the end the PCs were victorious only to discover that there was no exit in this room either. They seemed to have hit a dead end so to speak.