Session 5 - Mysterious Maps and Deadly Temples

The group was conducted to an audience with Pasha Tekril and Vizier Valkas. After some initially tense exchanges between Valkas and Roggo, the Pasha pardoned the group of their accused crimes and charged them with finding the location of the Good Folks headquarters. It became apparent that the Pasha already knew the identify of Vestra but was testing the party by having them reveal her name. The group met with Mentrim of the Mages Guild, who shared details around the motivations of the various faction in Manshaka. Specifically, the Pasha, Vestra, Jubal and a potential fourth faction, the mysterious Yuan-Ti.
Some time was spent shopping for equipment and relaxing in the Bearded Mermaid with the group swapping stories from their pasts before Hands approached them with yet another request from the Good Folk.
Meeting with One Eyed Nic and an unassuming gentleman who turned out to be a member of the Night Masks the group was given a new task and promise of reward. They were to destroy a small group of assassins known as the Coffin Masters. This group capitalized and mistrust between the Good Folk and the Night Masks to conduct a number of bloody assassinations, with no care for collateral damage, including the murder of Crazy Sven. After some searching the party found and eliminated the assassins, finding evidence that Jubal hired the Coffin Masters to slay Sven.
Upon this success the group was rewarded with gold from the Good Folk and Manshaka’s fabled and rare honey by the Night Masks. Vestra at this point invited to team to join the Good Folk after completing one more task. She also shared some details of what she knew of Akir’s father. He disappeared searching for a fabled item known as the “Sun Shield”. She also provided Akir with what she said was one of two maps leading to the Shields’ location, adding that there seemed no indication on the map as to where the item was, but perhaps Akir was the key to reading it. She went on to say that she was working on locating the second map.
The final task she gave the group was to steal the two great ruby eyes from the Temple of Bane. One to be given to her and one to be kept by the party. The group promptly departed to the temple and after a brief look inside entered the temple, chasing out the worshippers, barring the door and slaying the single priest on duty. Approaching the great statue, the group was soon in battle with two guardians, a giant snake and an air elemental. The snake was slain but the group fell one by one to the immense power of the elemental until only Mythdanor remained conscious. Realizing he had no hope to defeat the monstrosity he fled the temple.
And so the question looms….what next?