Azimuth 2 - Session 10 - The Sunken Shrine
General Summary
Porgorag
Sewers
After their battle in the sewers, the group took several minutes to clean up what grime and bile they could while Romsca cast a healing ritual. Ilmendwyth took point again with Mortimr, and they continued on. Closer to the area beneath the Yew Well, the sewer tunnels changed to older pathways, seemingly leading somewhere ahead. Romulus could tell they seemed to be from closer to the city’s founding, some two to three hundred years prior. Demitri noticed carved symbols on these walls, which reminded him of the holy symbol of Gaia, The Allmother. The branching pathways seemed to be leading towards an entrance of some structure beneath the Yew Tree. The water was most befouled around this place, and they quietly headed forward. They started hearing sounds from within the structure. Demitri and Gertrude recognized it as Draconic language, and Chaka cast a spell to understand. It seemed like chanting or spellcasting, and it was droning on.“As the light of Chedae fades, give to me, your humble servant, the powers to grant your corruption and unholy consecration to the lands of orcs once more. Though the means of it be unknown to us, and though you slumber, know I act in your stead as the light of the daughter fades. As I work in your absence so that you can rise the stronger, great deceiver, Dragon of Darkness, I ask for your blessings and strengths.”Demitri used his Earring of Message and told Arwin, “We need to stop that chanting, now!” As they approached the entrance, a telepathic voice hit them all, seemingly speaking to all creatures in the vicinity in the rough and grating Abyssal language.
“Continue the tunnels, prepare to summon more to this place (cough, sputter). Soon when the last of the shadow mage’s light has faded, the door will be opened and we can consecrate our own place.”They heard creatures within the structure headed outwards, and the party rushed to the entrance.
Lost Shrine to Gaia
The structure was a lost and dilapidated shrine to Gaia set beneath the Yew Well. The roots of the tree above reached down along the walls to a pool of water before a broken stone dais. An energy was coming from the dais that seemed to be protecting the tree and the pool of water from the spreading corruption, but it was too small or degraded to do so effectively. Some of the touching roots were within the barrier’s radius, however others were outside it and touching the befouled water. A shadow along the edge of this barrier was also seen, flitting just out of sight. Inside, there were several Maw Demons and Grey Oozes, and two other goat-like demons. These Bulezau were casting a spell within a black, glass-like spell circle and were the sources of the Draconic chanting and the Abyssal speech. They saw the party, and the Bulezau ordered the demons to attack. Demitri and Romsca ran inside, and Arwin and Ilmendwyth shot arrows from the doorway. The Bulezau created a magical wall of water to protect the one chanting, however it was not enough, as Arwin used one of the residuum crystal arrows and shot through the dark water. The arrow shattered in a radiant blast and the caster was killed, dissolving into black ichor. The rest of the party were still running to catch up when three of the creatures attacked Romsca, severely wounding her. Her armor broke and she dropped into the water, near death. The remaining Bulezau called out in rage. It looked at Romsca’s body with bloodlust, but turned instead to the barrier around the yew tree. It dropped the wall of water and entered the black spell circle. Reaching out, it launched a spell of breaking. The shadow energy from the periphery of the barrier coalesced into a shadow form of the Zenethian symbol. As it did, the Bulezau’s spell was shattered, before the shadow faded and could be seen no more. Demitri tried to help Romsca, but there were too many enemies nearby. He stood over her body and fought the demons. Chaka saw Romsca fall. He felt a new energy in this place. With a glowing green light from beneath his helm, he brought vibrant green energy and flung it into the maw demon on Romsca, shooting it off of her. Ilmendwyth grabbed the health potion from Romulus’s staff and with his wood elf speed, he administered it to Romsca, and she was brought back. Romulus walked into the room and observed the Bulezau and the spell circle. He transported farther in and tried to pull the demon out of the circle, but he couldn’t get his thorned vines to hold. Arwin fired a roped arrow and pierced the demon’s torso. He called for help to pull, and Gertrude grabbed his belt and heaved. She lifted Arwin off the ground and the demon was yanked out of the circle’s radius. Enraged and being pulled away, the Bulezau said, “I’ll deal with you all then.” It turned and leapt over the melee, landing in the water next to Arwin. Chaka rushed forward with green flame on his hammer, and Arwin moved away. The Bulezau’s attack missed, and Arwin shot it in the head. With an Abyssal yell, it dissolved into ichor. The maw demons screeched and evaporated as they could no longer be sustained. The group vanquished the remaining oozes and healed Romsca, and the battle was won.After the Battle
Mortimr investigated the spell circle. It was a corruptive Hallow spell meant to make this shrine into a place of demonic influence. Had it been completed, it would have meant demons could have sustained in the sewers of Porgorag indefinitely. There were bundles of stolen herbs, oils, and incense set as material components for the spell. As Mortimr took some of the bundles, Romulus destroyed the spell circle. Arwin picked up the stone carried by the Bulezau. It was a stone agate in the shape of a cat’s head. Gertrude confirmed it was not a spell focus, but it did seem magical. Chaka cast Identify on it, using Romsca’s offered pearl, and he learned it was a Stone of Good Luck. Ilmendwyth and Romulus investigated the tree and the shrine. The yew tree seemed to not be affected by the corruption built up in the water. However, it was unclear if the tree would suffer damage in the long term. The circle of protection emanating from the tree had degraded, which allowed an opening to form in the water near the bottom of the spring. It was enough that a creature could slip into the room without crossing the protective barrier. The broken dais had some type of spell placed upon it in Draconic, but the glyphs had been spent with the shadowy counter spell, and it was no longer active. Gertrude remembered a story from her youth, a parable of a powerful mage who came to a place in need. Through arcane or divine magic, a holy place was created. As the party put the pieces of this place together, it seemed the warding glyph set to protect this place was made by Joseppe, the Shadow Mage. As they regrouped, Romsca was silent. Demitri said to her, “How do you plan to be a leader if you throw your life away?” Arwin and Demitri berated her for needlessly risking her life, and Romsca said no one in the city cared. Arwin said no one expected her to be perfect. Romsca argued that everyone did, and Arwin said, “No, they don’t. You do.” The party prepared to head back up to the city, as there were many people they needed to talk to. Now that the wound had been clenched and the demons removed, they could start the process of cleaning up the corruption and preventing future incursions.
Report Date
25 Jan 2023
Primary Location
Related Characters
3 Adroth 5A 352