After escaping the Whiners to the south, the party settles in for a guarded night’s sleep in a quiet glade.
The weariness of their previous adventure bears down on the group and each of them — Mimo, Kristov, Lucia Talene, and Sturmberg — all fall into a deep slumber.
However, while their sleep was deep it was not undisturbed. All four of the adventurers share the same dream. They are all in a familiar and safe place and find a man there. He wears a crow mask and is covered in a feathered robe. Before they can make out who he might be, he speaks to them and says:
“Please forgive me for contacting you in this manner. Secrecy is of some importance to me. Word has reached me of your capacities. And – forgive me – greed. I have a proposition; The tower of a Sorcerer. A strange being, rumored to be a half-elf, half-demon. Long since dead. Immensely powerful. And wealthy. Her body and her treasures lie there still. Her bodiless spirit dreams there. The presence of a truly powerful – again, forgive me, but not you – sorcerer might fully awaken her, a transformation few would wish to witness. Yet, with my information and your skills, it is possible. This is my offer: First – silver, to be delivered to you the moment you agree. Second – information to assist you in the endeavor. Third – you may keep everything you find, the tower itself and all its treasures except for one, the only item I desire. The heart of the Sorceress; a Black Gem. Do you agree to my terms?”
After pondering his offer for a bit, Lucia and Kristov agree to it while Mimo and Sturmberg ask the figure some questions. His responses are obtuse and don’t provide much in the way of clarity, but the pair eventually agree to his terms as well.
Satisfied, the mysterious man continues and says:
“Very well! A few hours’ journey to the north you will find a red, snail-shaped rock. Dig five feet down – you will find your payment. Second – the Sorceress put her power into her tools. A knife, a bird, a ring, all silver, seemingly only trinkets. Those who hold these trinkets will have mastery over her spirit, and be able to destroy her. When it is done, I shall know, and come to you.”
And with that, the adventurers all awake at the same time and look at each other, stunned. Mimo immediately starts a rapid recap of the dream and her complete astonishment at the event. Sturmberg is perplexed at the strangeness of it all but is heavily enticed by the promise of silver and precious artifacts. Kristov broods to himself, he covets the treasure as his nigh-impossible debt has been weighing heavily upon him. He feels it is time to amass some treasure lest his debtor finds him.
The party compares their notes on the shared experience and agrees that while the offer is tempting, they should not trust the masked man. They make alternative plans to either escape the deal or betray the man to the sorceress.
After spending the morning making plans and training, the group breaks camp and heads north. Mimo leads the way but becomes lost in the dense forest and guides the party right into the path of a massive storm. All further progress is lost and the team has to seek shelter.
Once the storm finally passes, the adventurers realize too much time has been lost and they’ll have to make camp. Before they do, Kristov encourages everyone to search for the red, snail-shaped rock since they’re close to where the man said it might be. It’s not long before they find the stone in a small clearing. Grunting with much effort, Sturmberg and Kristov dig down and find a small stone box. Opening it, they find 13 silver coins inlaid with an eye of iridescent blue and green — much like a peacock’s feather.
When the group touches the coins, a strange event happens and shakes them to their core. Where once was a clear forest glade, now stands a shimmering tower. The spire reaches far into the cloudy sky and eventually becomes lost in view — appearing almost without limit. The base of the tower is organic and shaped much like a massive tree before morphing into a stone edifice. Inlaid into the tree tower, is a silver door with a pavonated eye that resembles the silver coins in the stone box.
Searching around the tower, the group finds no other entrance, and no matter where they look the tower seems to have no end in the sky. The entire area around the tower seems to shimmer and hum as well. The entire glade feels very much like an otherworldly dream to the party.
Sturmberg and Kristov approach the tower door and inspect it. The dwarven warrior bangs on the door but hears nothing in response. Lucia and Mimo report no movement coming from the small windows they can see high on the tower. Eventually, Sturmberg decides to press one of the silver coins into the door where the iris of the pavonated eye sits. Without noise, the door swings open to a macabre sight inside:
“Gloom. A spiral stair of gilded bone leads up. A keening wind echoes down from the stairs and pale light gleams. Long dead bodies are strewn across the floor and hung like pennants on the walls. Two huge and iridescent forms shift in the dark. Withered voices speak.”
Surveying the grim scene warily, Sturmberg and Kristov remove the coin from the door and step backward, not daring to enter the chamber. Conveying the scene to the party, the adventurers all decide to make camp outside the tower and decide what to do next. As they lay down to sleep, they hope their dreams are undisturbed.
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