Storm of Bones

The next morning Kariss asked Aleera to look in on Gralmor and his mission to bring the last Yuan-ti refugees to Novos from Chult. After a quick breakfast, Aleera took out Elior’s Deck and began to shuffle through, thinking about Gralmor aboard their ship. Most of the time, the cards were just cards. They usually presented symbolic pictures of the future on the cards that they had to figure out before acting. This time the cards had no symbols and a vision rammed into Aleera’s consciousness. 

Gralmor was aboard their ship, but he was outrunning a terrible storm. If they didn’t act quickly, he would be lost to the storm. They readied themselves and, once more, Kaladrax attempted to teleport them. This time was even more difficult as they were trying to appear upon a moving ship. They could be left behind to tumble through the air to their deaths if they weren’t careful. With luck, the Hand of Destiny made it aboard the ship with only a few minor bumps and bruises. Gralmor and some of the other crew mates nearby cried out when they appeared but stayed calm as they realized it was friends aboard the ship. Gralmor thanked the gods that they had arrived and told them the storm had begun as he had left Chult. The dark morass had gathered behind him and no matter where he turned he saw no way out of the storm. 

The group looked to the back of the ship where, on the horizon, black clouds roiled forward like waves on the ocean. Crashing forward from the cluster of black clouds was something of immense size. They looked closer to find a gigantic avatar of Null made out of dead dragon bones and some humanoid bones lumbering towards them. Kaladrax had been the first to realize who it was. He could feel the dark aura of Null closing in on them. It wanted him, he could feel it. He let the others know who it was. The party knew they could only outrun the avatar of Null for so long. Soon enough it would catch up to them. 

Aleera used her blessing of air and asked Aero to provide wind to carry them out of the range of the storm. Others were using their own air spells to give them an extra shove. Quickly outpacing the storm, the Hand of Destiny made their way to the city of Waterdeep. It took a few hours but, with everyone putting in work to make the ship go faster, they managed it. The action did not stop when they reached the city. They quickly made their way to the government buildings and informed the Magistrate of the coming threat. They also informed Laeral and Kaladrax, as the new Blackstaff, prepared to raise the giant stone soldiers scattered across the city. Before they left Waterdeep, Kaladrax had asked that the soldiers be cleared of any people living in them in case they needed to be raised. 

Now it seemed would be the time to raise them. Once it was confirmed that most people had been evacuated they could wait no longer. Kaladrax used the Blackstaff to order the stone giants to rise from their dormancy. The giants, creaked as limbs that had been in disuse for years suddenly moved again. The soldiers all stood up at once and made their way as carefully as they could to the coast just outside the city walls to meet the coming storm. Kaladrax ordered them to be on alert for attack and to defend if such an attack should occur. They were to protect the citizens of Waterdeep at all costs. The city also began preparing the new cannons they had received from Drakenforge on Novos. 

After that was completed, the group headed to Novos to warn them of a possible attack. Once there they warned the council of King’s Crest. The city also employed their own cannons and began preparing them at once. Messages were sent to the other represented civilizations on the island to warn them too. Drakenforge received one, as did the elves and some of the towns along the eastern coast of Novos. They had begun realizing that the avatar of Null was following Kaladrax around. By changing direction they had managed to keep the storm over ocean waters. Less people would be affected that way. After preparing Novos they headed back to Waterdeep. 

This whole time the storm had been slowly gaining ground. They had kept it at bay for a bit but as they left Novos it was visible on the eastern seas of the island. By going back to Waterdeep, they were able to delay the storm a bit longer. Back at Waterdeep, the party prepared to go into the Shadow Fell to face Null. They gathered any supplies they might need and slept for the night. In the morning, the storm was visible in the distance. They asked for a contingent of volunteer griffon riders and fighters that could follow them to meet the storm before it reached the mainland. They received seven griffon riders and a handful of Aarakocra, flying mages, and Kenku willing to fight. 

They made their way over the coastline onto open water to meet the dark storm. As they neared the epicenter where the giant bone monster stood, they made out an open portal above the monstrosity. Kaladrax could tell that it was a portal to the Shadow Fell, this was where the avatar was being allowed to come in and other, smaller creatures too. They made their way towards the portal to meet whatever lay on the other side.