Below Menkalinan Report

General Summary

The party set out to the Forgotten Monastery at the edge of the bubble surrounding Menkalinan, only to find a dilapidated, vacant site. After some investigation, they discovered three peculiar circular indentations high up on the columns that suspended the partially destroyed dome ceiling, with a presumable matching fourth column that had fallen out of place in an earthquake. At precisely noon, they witnessed the Sun's light linger in these specific spots, hoping it would open the circular doorway in the center of the floor. However, it seemed that something was missing from these indentations that could have initiated anything. This prompted Torren to polymorph Doyle into a bat, who was watched by Torren via a phantom fusion as he teleported through the hole in the bottom of the monastery and explored the abandoned tunnel system deep below. After navigating tunnels ridden with caved-in segments and unsteady ground, Doyle came across the unsettling rumble of an arriving purple worm, causing him to hastily flee the subterranean network.   Meanwhile, Rastos explored more of the inner workings of the temple, and Ro-gin and Max went back to the city to speak with Max's parents. Max's dad gave him blueprints to the sewers and helpful instructions on how to enter. His mother insisted on delivering him the blank letter entitled "Dear Samuel", despite Max's exasperation at being forced to have the same agonizing conversations with his parents over and over. However, to his surprise, the letter was not in fact blank. It contained valuable information on someone who may have been Max's real father, or at least someone who regretted not being able to be there to support him in the way a father would. The writer of the letter also implied that Max's real mother's name was Sarah.   Following these revelations, the party reconvenes at the docks, where they speak with Sewage Joe about entering the sewer through the ducts of in the Vitreus river. During this process, Rastos unfortunately gets caught up in the long duct, starting to drown in the process before Doyle rescues him. Max guides the party using the blueprints to where the sewer connects to the catacombs below, and just before the entrance they catch sight of Vivian's disgraced body covered in slashes from Thalia's chain, and incisions from what was likely a brutal torture. Her brain is missing, her heart looks to have been ripped out and put back in, and she has been drained of blood. Proceeding further down into the catacombs, Max discovers the mausoleum of ancient Valerius's, catching sight of an eerily familiar name on one of the Valerius sarcophagi: Sarah. Soon after they are attacked by a hound of death guarding the door to the much larger Beleron mausoleum, and the party hears the frightening voice of Thalia Nuovis echoing from below, beckoning them further into her lair.