Jasper's Journal: The Boiled Man

8th of Utkar, 1491 DR
 
After a nice refreshing rest, we began to explore the statue a bit farther, descending a hidden ladder that ran the length of the statue and finding a hidden door in the wall at the bottom. However, upon opening up the door, a strange black cloud began to fill the chamber. Sergei called out for us to backup, but remembering my teachings to hone my mind and body, I stepped forward and offered to test the mist. I deduced that it was not some sort poison, and it instead seemed to simply be some sort of obscuring magical mist.
 
We sadly lost Vadania and Morrick in the mist, so myself, Ander, and Sergei made our way back to the top of the statue to discuss what we should do next. As we arrived at the top, Sergei heard Vadania in the distance, but there was something off about her voice. I also informed him about how the foxman warned me about the sarcophogus, and we agreed that perhaps the creature warned me because he was guarding this place from intruders who might do just that...
 
Sergei and I talk about not sharing that Vadania seemed to be some sort of mimiced voice, we were not sure how Ander would react to that information. After talking with him, we three decided to move over to the closest balcony, so I scaled to the other side, and set up climbing gear to make the gap easier for Ander and Sergei.
 
We crossed the gap, and I urged the group to take caution and not trust their lives to Morrick's actions for many have died in this group under his watch. Yet, his friends do all they can to save him and resurrect him, and he has never returned the favor. However, Ander was not so easy to convince. I plead my case though, so hopefully he will start to consider my words before his life is lost the same way as their previous companions. I told them we should not betray Morrick, but we need to exercise more caution in trusting our lives with him. After discussing, we found ourselves in front of an eastern and a northern door.
 
We hear a moaning from the east, but Ander and I ignore it and instead go to the north. Inside that chamber, we find a gem on the ground that was shining and its beauty was calling out to me, it was saying: "Jasper! Come to me, I am beautiful and so valuable!" Clearly, I needed to have this gem. I picked it up and immediately heard voices assailing my mind, but I resisted them! However, the gem was white hot and I had to drop it! Ander and I discussed for a moment about how to collected it, before finally deciding to use the Bag of Holding to pick it up and drop it inside.
 
After finally collecting the gem, we heard a massive crashing sound from the south and I rushed out to go check on Sergei. The entire doorway had crumbled, and standing in its place was a 10ft tall Stone Golem. I call back for Ander to hurry, and I lashed forwards delivering four speedy and strong strikes into the golem, radiating my ki through the final strike and stunning the construct. Immediately after, Sergei blasted the golem with his psi energy, staggering it back and completely knocking off the 30ft balcony to the ground with a massive crash! It was quite the impressive feat indeed, and though the golem was not destroyed, it was lost in the darkness and no longer our problem for the given moment.
 
With the golem gone, we began to head through the area which the golem had come from. It lead to a hallway with cracked floors, and present in the hallway was a single doorway. I summoned Piccolo back to my side now that he was safe, and opened the door. We entered into a lecture hall of sorts. The three of us descended the stairs into the chamber and heard a small whimpering coming from behind the lecturn. Sergei and myself call for whoever it is to reveal themselves. A small man, covered in boils and sores rose up from where he was hiding.
 
He seemed very scared of us, and kept saying that he meant us no harm and begging us not to hurt him. He said his name was Vilnius, and that he was trapped here by the stone golem, being held prisoner. I revealed to him that today was his lucky day, and that we pushed the golem over a balcony. He begged us to help him, he was looking for a cure to his illness, the same which inflicted his young daughter back in Faerun, and that the cure was here. After asking, he also claimed to have come here with a wizard that was looking for the Sun Sword, but he did not know the exact location. After probing him a bit, he did reveal that he knew of a Lich in this temple, that was not aware that it was a Lich, that knew where the sword was... Peculiar, but perhaps a lead worth investigating. He also had a very expensive necklace which he claimed allowed him to communicate with his daughter. Finally, he explained that the foxman creature was guarding this place in some sort of way and that he was not entirely evil... A tinge of guilt rushed over me for killing the creature, but it did almost kill my friends. At least I had confirmation now to trust its warnings...
 
Though the rest of the group was nervous, we agreed to help Vilnius, and he agreed to help me find the Sun Sword. We left together south to explore the rest of the floor, eventually finding a connection back to the entrance of the Amber Temple. We explored the rooms that connected revealing a large hole and a mostly empty room aside from scrap pieces of wood. Curiously, I felt wind blowing through a gap in the wall, a telltale sign of a secret door! I found the finger holds and eventually opened up a small passage into a tiny room with the remains of a long dead wizard.
 
Ander searched the body of the fallen wizard and found some wand, which I no doubt figure must be magical! Afterwards, I pulled out and lit a candle, placing it in the bony hands of the skeleton and briefly wishing it to find the light. There is too much darkness in the world, perhaps his spirit can find peace outside of this vile building. As we emerged from the room and met up with Vilnius again, we heard the pounding steps of the damn golem approaching us once again. With only seconds to act, I handed a 50ft coil of rope to Ander and told him to tie it off, I grabbed the other end of it and jumped down the whole! My hope was that my companions and Piccolo could quickly slide down the rope after me to evade the golem. I fell about 40ft, so it is lucky that I was the one make the leap of faith... The fall likely would have severely injured anyone else.
 
As I hit the bottom and looked around, I saw a door to the north, and three small marble graves with skulls floating overhead. The skulls ignited with flame, and I realized I just jumped alone into a pit with three more of the flame skulls we had fought previously. I might be in some serious danger...
 
~ Jasper Solavich