Beorunna's Well

Year: 1491, Month: Mirtul, Date:21st

As we approach the site of Beorunna's Well, Leo tells us of what he knows: According to Uthgardt legend, an Uthgardt hero named Beorunna tripped while fighting a very bad guy and fell into the ground and tragically died.  Many years later Barbarians found some bones while exploring the cavern and believing them to be Beorunna's they made a shrine burying the bones at the shrine.

We hover above the tree line and descend down the rope ladders.  As we get to the Well there are knotted ropes going down into blackness of the cavern.  After Celery casts light on my shield, and I climb down the knotted ropes, looking around to check out what I can see of the cavern as I make my way down.

To the northwest a number of tents; to the northeast there is water and steam rising from a spring; to the south there is a large altar, although I see no movement below me. 

Celery points over to the west, where we can just make out the outline of a cave entrance, quite close to the spring.  Strewn randomly about the entrance are many bones of all shapes and sizes.

Once we are all safely on the cavern floor, we head towards the altar in the south.  The altar is rectangular, about nine feet long, six feet wide, and standing three feet high from the ground. 
There are two poles, one to either side.  One of the totem poles is black, covered in pitch, with a lions skull perched on it's top.  The other is stained in blood and has a tiger skull on it.  Leo says there are two Uthgardt tribes who worship and protect the shrine: The Black Lion and the Red Tiger. As we near, we can see blood splattered across the surface of the stone altar.  The blood looks recent, there may be Barbarians close by.

Before searching for the Giant's relic, we decide to secure the rest of the cavern. We warily make our way towards the tented area.  There are three tents: two look like they are communal sleeping tents, but the other has many tribal fetishes and carvings hanging all around.  We approach carefully and look inside, but there are no people, only a cold firepit, some bones, dried herbs, a crude mirror, and a single sleeping roll.  We investigate the other tents but they are also unoccupied and don't contain anything useful.  It doesn't look like either have been used recently.

Next, we head over to the spring.  As we get to it's we  hear a loud growl coming from the cave.  Soon after a large, shaggy, human head comes out of the cave, roaring loudly.  The head is on a Lions body, but attached to it are dragon-like wings, and behind is a long tail swinging rapidly back and forth, much like one of the giant scorpions which we first encountered in Ascore. 

The angry animal is about ten feet long and looks to weigh a lot more than I do even in full plate mail.  The tail ends in a cluster of sharp spikes that look quite deadly.   Its fur is surprisingly clean blending shades of orange and brown.

What a majestic animal (which I learned later is called a Manticore), even if it isn't looking very friendly towards us.

As Zook and I move forwards, weapons drawn, a ball of fire arcs over our heads, engulfing the Manticore in heat and flame.  It bellows an angry roar, and leaps into the air, away from Zook and I which takes me a little by surprise.  As its tail swings round, three barbs shoot like lances straight towards me.  Without breaking stride, I raise my shield in protection, and the barbs fall harmlessly to the ground.  A second ball of flame explodes around the Manticore. 

As we get closer I infuse my voice with Tyr's power and command the Beast to "Grovel"!  Zook throws a tiny dart which flies true and sticks to it's body, and sways from side to side in rhythm to the Manticore's movements.

Five glowing magical darts strike the Manticore next, and it is looking quite hurt.  It lands in front of me and stretches it's front legs out on the floor, lowering its body into a grovelling posture.  Celery doesn't wait to see what happens next, but loads her crossbow and fires.  It hits the pitiful beast between the eyes and it rolls over onto the ground with a loud thud.

I put away my weapons and we head into the cave.  There's not much inside.  Clearly it was the beast's nest.  Lots of twigs, and old clothing are mixed together to form some sort of sleeping area, but nothing else.

Having finished checking the cavern for dangers, we head back over to the altar.  Leo begins chanting and drawing symbols around him, which he continues to do for some time.  I pass the time sharpening my sword.  Finally, Leo ceases his incantation, and after a few moments in silent contemplation he says that there's nothing magic around the shrine.  For the next ten minutes he makes his way around the cavern, stopping for a few moments every so often.  Eventually he completes his circuit of the cavern and returns to the altar.  He says that he has found faint traces of magic around the shaman's tent which is probably the fetishes and carvings.

In a moment of inspiration, Zook reminds us that we found all the other relics on, under, or in a shrine.  We investigate it once more.  Although there still seems nothing special about it, it does make a hollow sound if you knock it hard.  Zook hands me a hammer, and I repeatedly strike.  I make lots of noise, and sparks, but little other impact onto the stone of the shrine.  After what seems an age, my arm starts to ache, and I throw the hammer back to Zook.  Instead, I take my Greatsword and try to smash the shrine with the blade, but it is ineffectual. 

While I'm still swinging away, a Giant Ape pushes me out of the way and begins to punch the altar in a frenzy and lumps of stone begin flying everywhere. Eventually, the Ape, once known as Leo, enough stone is broken off that the shrine splits open. 
Inside are the skeletal remains of a large humanoid and a fossilised horn made from the tusk of some monstrous beat engraved all around with Giants fighting Dragons.  The ape throws the skeleton out of the way, and lifts out the horn, then tranforming before our eyes back to Leo. 

Another relic successfully found, so we make our way back to the airship and set course for Great Worm cavern.  Zook estimates it will take one and a third days of continuous flight to get there.