Coins and Cultists

After receiving a letter with my name on it promising answers for questions I didn't even realised I had along with a coin of a fountain engraved on one side I decided to investigate. I would normally dismiss things like this as a scam or practical joke of some kind but this has triggered a curiosity I can't seem to ignore. This might even have something to do with why I can't seem to remember anything of my childhood.
 
After asking around and discovering that the fountain might belong to an orphanage in Blasingdell I set off to this new destination.
Upon arriving at Blasingdell it seemed that two others had also received similar letters and coins. We were greeted and invited into The Windy Goat Tavern by a male dwarf by the name of Theli.
In the tavern a couple of introductions took place by Krod, a male dwarf, and Killian, a male human, the two previously mentioned with the letters and coins. After some food and drink Theli asked us to track down his son, Jess, who went down into the cellar and didn't return.
The three of us agreed to go down there to find this Jess. It appears that he's gotten himself mixed up in some sort of demonic cult of Baphomet.
During a surprisingly challenging encounter with some of these cultists, they actually got the better of me. I've had close calls before but this might be the closest yet. Fortunately one of the others was there to pick me back up. I may have to thank them later but first I think we need to find this Jess and return him to his father.
 
It's happened again, this is the second time I've fallen and in the same day. I might have to take a different approach to the denizens of this underground network. Disappointingly it wasn't even anything remotely impressive that felled me, who knew a swarm of rats could be so deadly? These rats were, to be fair, summoned and protecting their very large queen of which I have never seen a rat as huge as that ever.
This rat queen looked like it had been tortured and put on metal spike for reasons I have no clue. This was however all after we sneaked past a group of creatures that seemed to be communing with or worshipping another one of these large metal spikes that was covered in runes.
 
After making our way past a portcullis I scouted ahead to see what dangers lurked before hopefully not having to engage in any more battles, they're taking their toll now.
I snuck into a room discovering two ogres. Not noticing me until Killian came charging in shouting, "There's two of them". Suggesting that we make our escape due to previous injuries I made for the door on the other side but Krod didn't seem to be with us. Killian and I eventually took one down but not before I returned the favour of getting me back to my feet. Krod however, somehow managed to take the second ogre down on his own. Very impressive for someone who doesn't really seemed to be trained in combat.
I must say, they have actually been far more competent than I initially thought they'd be.
And am secretly grateful that they are here and I'm not on my own. It's tougher down here than I was prepared for.
 
Continuing into the next room we came across what would appear to be a natural underground stream if it was not for the arcane glyphs on the walls similar to that found on the previous obelisk. Looking up we seemed to be at the bottom of a well where people have thrown coins in, presumably to make unrealistic wishes that will never come true. There was something else however shining in the bottom of the pool of water and going against my better judgement proceded to dive in and investigate. I did indeed misjudge this decision and promptly got attacked by some nasty ill tempered fish that surprisingly had vicious teeth. Why am I being so wreckless at the moment? Maybe the greed of the human and dwarf is rubbing off on me. I'll have to keep myself in check, I'm not usually so materialistic. It was only all for a small trinket of a bell. At least it was magical in nature and am sure my new acquaintances will find some use for it.
 
Proceeding through the next door we found ourselves in a large room with yet another runed obelisk in the centre surrounded by some black coloured water. Upon investigating two huge snakes suddenly emerged from the water and attacked but were eventually dispatched with. These conflicts I fear are definitely taking their toll on us.
 
Carrying on past a trapped corridor we came into another large room but with a pile of bones in and finally found what we were looking for, although not exactly how we expected. Emerging from the pile of bones was indeed the lost child Jess, although now with the head and hands of a rat. Killian managed to calm and comfort the boy before heading back to the inn via a newly discovered secret passage. After reuniting the boy with his father we informed the Crownsguard of the recent events leaving out the child's new affliction of which we hope a priest or cleric might help with. Due to our efforts in returning Jess to his father, Theli has given us free food and board for the night of which I feel the rest is well earned.
I believe the plan for tomorrow will be to prepare and return to the underground tunnels and clear out anything that could be a threat to the people of Blasingdell.
 
We met back up this morning in The Windy Goat Tavern and after breakfast we headed to Clink and Clank, the town's blacksmiths of which two damn near, if not exact, identical twin Dwarfs owned and forged in. Going by the names Fergim and Dolgan, these dwarven metal smiths seem to have a very well stocked shop with all manner of well crafted weapons and armour. Needless to say I stocked up and upgraded my armour. The other two also bought wares. The human Killian, commissioning a new shield and the dwarf Krod, asking something about improving his skills at forging things.
We eventually left and went over to The Trusty Feather General Store and continued to replenish our supplies purchasing a few healing potions and various kits which may come in useful for you never know when you might need to bypass a locked door or climb a cliff face. The human Killian was once again trying to charm another shop keeper, this time a human woman called Wude. Anyhow, we got what we needed and proceeded to head back to the tavern passing the well where two guards appear to not be taking their job too seriously. They obviously have no idea of the potential dangers that lurk beneath their quiet little town. They promptly dismissed themselves after a brief conversation with Krod.
Upon returning to the cellar of the tavern there were guards posted there too of which again appeared to be complacent and not believing the reports we made the night before. We even offered to let them join us in going back down to the tunnels but decided to decline our invitation. Krod seems keen to bring them back a "gift", proof of what we faced previously.
 
We returned to the underground tunnels beneath Blasingdell to complete the task of clearing out any dangers we previously missed starting at the point where we found the wererat boy, Jess. While I stood watch the others investigated the room and discovered a symbol of a small white paw of which means nothing to any of us. We moved on backtracking into the previous room via the hidden door where the pentagonal altar stood but upon entering we all seemed to share a vision of death and corpses abound but only for an instant. I may have been in some unusual and unnerving places before while hunting things down but nothing as unholy as this. The vision would suggest that this place is very ancient.
Moving on we encountered the weird Grimlock beasts that were worshipping one of the metallic spires from before but we dealt with them swiftly although one did turn into a pillar of bones which subsequently exploded after one of the others, I believe it was the dwarf, started to tamper with it.
 
More damned rats! I swear after the previous conflicts with these vermin that if I were any lesser of a man I would have developed a phobia of them by now.
 
Moving on back to the room where we originally found the Grimlocks communing with the black metal spire we were able to investigate the room a little more thoroughly. Krod enlisted the help of Killian to try and retrieve a sample from the spire but lost his balance and steadied himself by bracing against the spire. He seems to be acting a little different now after touching that thing. Why can't some people just leave things alone, this is obviously well above our pay grade.
 
We returned to the guards posted outside of the entrance to the tunnels in the cellar and delivered a couple of pieces of evidence in the form of a Grimlock's head and a gnawed corpse of a cultist. The looks on their faces suggest that they may take this situation more seriously now and hope they bring in the relevant authorities to seal and secure whatever that place down there is.
 
The human, dwarf and I have completed the task we said we would, finding the boy and clearing out the tunnels of any dangerous creatures and in doing so I consider this job to be at its conclusion.
May the boy be either cured of his ailments or at least the people of Blasingdell be accepting of his new condition.
Time to rest for tomorrow I will continue to look into this mystery of the coin and letter, but first I might check in on the dwarf for he doesn't seem to be quite the same since touching that damn obelisk. It concerns me what ill effects it might have had on him.