S05E07 – Death at the Temple

After the ominous encounter with the undead elf, the group continues their journey to Arana. On their way there they meet a green dragon called Kayfan who has been asked to devour them. However she is a music lover who doesn’t get to listen to anything but screams and she offers to fly the group to Arana in time to attend Lauranthal’s wedding if they sing her four songs that she likes. After a first failed attempt the group manages to find four songs that she likes and they get the promised lift.

Once in Arana the group doesn’t see any signs of the wedding party that should have taken place that day. After a short rest at the Sleepy Priest inn the group is informed that the high priest who was going to conduct the ceremony has been found dead. The group also finds out that Torggar, the runepriest they are looking for, is usually at the inn by this time of the year. However this year he left quite early, just a couple of weeks ago.

While the group is digesting the news they decide to pay a visit to Lauranthal. She is staying at her groom’s place, the Malon Mansion, but it’s already late in the evening and city guards blocking the gates to the noble district tell the group to go back during daylight.

The next morning the group first visit the local temple. While at the temple Ada seduces one of the priests, Masala. He tells Ada that the high priest now dead wasn’t too fond of Malon, the father of Lauranthal’s groom, and that both the priest and Eldil, one of the local guards leaders, had been investigating the influential elf. The group then parts ways in the afternoon: Mara-kai goes to the library to look for clues, Fenna goes in search of herbs and potions and Ada goes to get a the face of Masala tattooed on her shoulder. When they all meet again for dinner Mara-kai updates them on what she found at the library. In ancient times there was a nearby gate connecting their plane to the plane of Chaos and a demonic stronghold behind it. Besides that Malon was the youngest of a big and rich family but because he came to the world so late most of the good spots in various kingdoms were taken. It’s possible that he may have an unconscious urge to overcompensate for this.

After having dinner the innkeeper, Sheril, tells them what actually happened the night Torggar disappeared. After reading a letter he received that day Torggar left the inn and never came back. His belongings are still at the inn and the letter had the sigil of the house of Malon on its envelope.

The next day the PCs decide to go talk to Eldil but once they are at the barracks Ada’s wild temperament gets them arrested. While they are still retained, Thurion, one of the other guard leaders, asks them to help him investigate a recent lead about the death of the high priest. The group agrees but while they reach the forest the group realizes it was a decoy and a group of cloaked elves with the emblem of the God of deception, Lolth, assaults them.