Adventure 11: Senganji & Uhr-Mina

After waking in Adanir, the members of the party were separated from the others in various ways. They were each questioned about their being in Adanir, about carrying Naga silver, and why they were journeying.

After three days in various states of isolation, the party was reunited and brought before Lord Shivan's court in Adanir. In Shivan's court was also Jayan, an elven monk and head of the Golden Order who protect Shivan and the city, and also Samoujirou, a winged Tengu: a crow-headed creature who is Shivan's advisor. While Jayan praised the adventurers and thought they were envoys of the Middle World who could break Adanir's isolationism, Samoujirou was still suspicious that they were not all they claimed and possibly after the Elder Elves' leader (or some other power).

Uhr-Mina, the Seeress of Adanir

The group convinced Shivan to listen to the council of Uhr-Mina, a seeress who had been respected by Shivan's father. When Shivan took the throne, he had Uhr-Mina banished to the Temple of Senganji, in the northeast of the valley. The party offered to go and bring her back so that her wisdom may help Shivan's decision. The court allowed this.

Senganji was built in honor of Kujaku, the Celestial of Time and Fate. Sometime around three hundred years ago, an earthquake struck the valley, and a chasm split most of the temple from the mainland, leaving the temple in ruins.

The party ventured through Senganji, learning that the temple controlled a time- bubble that was created by Kujaku around the valley. This bubble was supposed to keep Adanir suspended in glory, but the quake's destruction ruined this, and now time leaked around the valley, and in the temple particularly. The party learned that the monks had been attacked by a draconic beast that Annayur (the Gold Dragon) tried to drive away, as well as a crafted Guardian of the Cloister, a samurai-armor Helmed Horror.

A tougher, winged Ryujin

The party managed to pass the Horror through various encounters thanks to Ardeshir's and Anden's quick-thinking, eventually ending it. As they continued on they also met ryujin, who were squatting in the temple's ruins, loyal to the beast they called "their mistress."

When the party reached the uppermost areas of the temple, past the quake-fissure, they encountered a wyvern, a dragon-like beast with a poisonous barbed tail.  Maru and Elaria summoned forth terrible storms, and with the aide of Failn miraculously stunning the creature, the party made quick work of the wyvern.
In a shrine, Uhr-Mina awaited the party's arrival. She said, "Master Kujaku told me that one day you would arrive, and that Adanir would have to step from the shadows into the light."

The party brought Uhr-Mina back to Shivan's court, where eventually she helped sway the troubled King to see that the adventurers were interested only in saving the Middle World from the threat of a Naga invasion, not assassinating the Elf king. The court claimed that the adventurers must live true to their mission: they must recruit the other kingdoms to their cause, to stand together, and eventually travel into the unknown regions of Lost Khandar, where the Nagas dwelled. To aid in their travels, the court bestowed upon the party a flying carpet, a magical mount of Adanir, and wished them well on their journey.

With the Middle World now widely open to them, the party discussed where to go next. It was decided the first stop should be the Dwarven citadel of Garm, to check on any progress made with the ruins underneath Rhotas. From there, they would travel to the desert capital of Majirah.

RECAP:

• Kujaku created a time distortion around the valley of Adanir. While this time-distortion was supposed to prevent the passage of time altogether, the quake eventually cracked this. Time passes slowly in Adanir: one day in Adanir represents a week going by outside the valley. 
• Uhr-Mina is a seeress and protege of Kujaku, the Celestial of Time and Fate.
• Ryujin are small draconic humanoids who served larger draconic beasts. They are mostly annoying and not terribly dangerous, although over time they can build interesting traps.
• The party received a Flying Carpet from Shivan, in the hopes of traveling the Middle World to recruit the Kingdoms to the fight against the Nagas of Lost Khandar.