Level 1 - Cursed Compass

General Summary

The Wardens find themselves in an unknown location sans Adama. Freeing the imprisoned Amelie, they find a runic symbol that seems to trigger the door when a crystal of the same color is placed upon it. Upon placing the crystal the group is teleported to another hall with three doors facing them. The enter the left most door finding themselves beset by ropers. The team quickly dispatches them but finds no exit to the room aside from another rune that looks like it would need a crystal to input. Having no crystal, the group continues to the middle door where they find what appear to be the small child. The child warns them away but Amelie progresses past the child prompting them to reveal their true form of a gold dragon. The dragon attacks saying that they must leave and due to a high persuasion roll by Hagren the group leaves the chamber only mostly singed.

Memories

Regrouping in the hallway the Wardens take a second to patch themselves up and talk about better strategies going forward. During the discussion Amelie realizes that the ring she wears seems to have gotten duller in color but is otherwise distracted by finding a section of wall that looks wrong. Once she points it out there seems to be an obvious door there and the group enters to find a small lake which seems to relax them. As they look at the lake they find themselves standing suddenly in a wooded clearing their forms more incorporeal and spectral than normal.
Sarya is the first to notice the two figures who stand at the other end of the clearing, a father (later named as Kanai) and son (later identified as Tsama) pair one of whom seems to resemble a much younger Adama.
"Tsama today is the day you become a man. Today is the day you start down the path towards your destiny. The day you show the strength and power of the Amani name, today is the day you show your ancestors that you are one with their spirits, that their blood strongly runs through your veins. I know you will do what needs to be done, and conquer this and all things that stand in your way.“
Tsama looks up at his father, like an ant staring at a giant. He notices the scar across his face, long extending from eyebrow to cheek bone. He notices the weapon at his father's side, the determination in his spirit. He feels the task before him is insurmountable, but he would rather die than disappoint his father.
“Yes, dad”
“Yes, Sir,” Kanai corrects.
“Yes, Sir.” The owlbear approaches from the distance, a creature as large as a house, more than 3 times his size. Tsama stops, we see his left hand tremble, quaking. He cannot seem to move, he stands shaking, terrified.
“Fight!” His father orders.
Tsama runs forward drops his shield, swings wildly and his sword falls from his hand. The Owlbear smacks Tsama, he goes flying to the left. The Owlbear charges the boy but just before it mauls him, Kanai steps forward and thrusts once with his sword stabbing the bear in the chest. He just misses the heart but determined he swings his blade down slashing across the bear's face. He spins around, lifting his shield blocking the bears swing. He stabs again, this time hitting the heart. The bear squeals as blood pours out it’s mouth, falling to the ground. Kanai turns and with one thrust cleaves off its head before turning back to his son.
“You weakling, you shame yourself, you shame your ancestors, and most of all you shame me. You shame us all, I taught you to keep your shield high, holding it with pride and strength, you better lose your life before you lose your shield, because if you lose your shield you’ll certainly lose your life. I want 1000 slashes with your sword and 20 miles holding your shield. You’ll learn to die before you let go of your blade. Everyday you will practice, you will run while holding your shield, eat while standing and sleep cuddling your sword and shield. Your sword will be your wife, and your shield your mistress. You will do this until you no longer disgrace your family.”
The original memory fades and flashes of Tsama training appear. They flash again and time has passed but Kanai and Tsama stand in the clearing once again.
“Are you ready to begin your destiny, are you ready to become whom you were meant to be? Are you ready to stop embarrassing your ancestors, your family, yourself and me?” Kanai asks.
“Yes Father”
“Then, you know what must be done. I do not want to see you again until it is done.” Kanai walks out of sight, but not away. Hiding behind a tree out of sight of Tsama.
An Owlbear appears and this time Tsama charges forward, shield high and sword ready. He stabs the Owlbear in the back causing it to scream in rage. The Owlbear slams against the shield, but the shield holds and Tsama uses the opportunity to slash across face. The Owlbear enraged bites Tsama’s left arm but he does not drop the shield. He takes his sword and plunges it into the bears skull causing the bear to fall to the ground.
Kanai approaches, “I am proud my son, you do your ancestor, your family, yourself, and me proud. Today you are a man”
The memory fades and the group is returned to the room with the water, those who were with the Wardens in Arts and Crafts - Everchange Exchange will recognize this as the 'happier' story from Adama's childhood he told after initially telling the group about his past as a commander for Slekul.

Door Number 3

The group returns to the hall and begins to plot their next course of action. They decide to move on to the door on the right, hoping to avoid a conflict with the lawfully good aligned dragon if at all possible. They begin to plan a bit more with Amelie giving Hagren a buff before we walk in to find 3 Devas hovering on the other side of the room.
As they enter the Devas ask why they have come here mentioning that it looks like we've brought "it's prisoner". As more of us come into view they attack us ending any discussion that might have occurred. As we attack Sarya notes that we are fighting angels and feels like we aren't on the right side of the conflict. Myra agrees from the side but mentions that they didn't leave us with much of a choice. As we fight the Devas reveal that they guard 'something' that we 'must awaken to leave'. They ask us several time why we help 'this creature' and the group repeatedly asks for more information saying that we do not wish to aid it. the Devas inform the group that it is not their responsibility to "tell you what you carry with you." The group repeatedly tried to insist that we don't carry anything but ourselves with us and ask what they mean but are met with silence.
The conflict unable to be resolved except by the death of the Devas, ends as expected and a cloak of billowing, and two potions of greater healing appear on the floor. Raijun quickly snatches the cloak from the floor as Sarya eyes it darting away into the corner to don it. Myra hands one of the potions to Sarya and attempts to give the other to Amelie who refuses it saying she's perfectly capable. As the group discusses where to go next another Deva descends from the ceiling and the group starts to prepare to fight again.
The Deva speaks and makes no motion to immediately attack but reiterates what it's compatriots said that we are helping the "wrong one" but pauses considering that perhaps we will be able to defeat "that thing," and "solve this." They comment that we seem not to know what we are doing or helping but is silent when the group asks for more information instead just commenting that we have no idea that problems we are creating. When the group asks what we might be able to do to help instead of hurt the Deva comments that we should all go re-secure ourselves back in the cells.
Amelie chimes in that she has, "sat in that cage for many dreams. I do not wish to return to that nightmare."
As the group talks Sarya notes that the Deva keeps looking to their arms but only briefly before returning it's gaze elsewhere. The Deva starts up again that they are set as guardians of what is "trapped here" and that obviously we have come to "release it". It thinks thoughtfully for a moment before continuing that "perhaps you do have the strength to defeat that thing. Though I expected more of you." The Deva heals the wounds of the most injured of the Wardens and wishes us luck before receding back into the darkness in the ceiling.
Trenchcoat searches the room but turns up nothing else as Amelie performs last rights on the dead Devas. Raijun comments that we could use the heart or eye of a Deva to give to the boxes but Myra comments that she feels uncomfortable using the divine beings in that way and isn't sure if it would even work. Raijun comments that Slekul would probably give him bonus points for using angel parts with Myra turning slightly green at the thought and asking him not to. Amelie overhears the exchange and comments that she didn't realize we had business with Slekul asking if it was with the north or south fork. Raijun comments that it's not so much with them as with a mystery box.
Amelie nods and asks if Raijun would consider himself religious, though it's unclear if she's referencing the potential desecration of angels or inquiring about the darker religions of the Slekul continent. Raijun comments that he doesn't bother with the day to day stuff but says he considers him self to be spiritual. Amelie gives him a look but comments that she has faith that he has faith and sometimes that's enough. Raijun mentions that really if anything the Raven Queen is interested in him and he thinks she might be watching him with glass of wine making comments. Amelie comments that she is doubtful that that's how the Raven Queen spends her time but mentions that she does embody a crucial idea in the cycle. Amelie continues that unlike Raijun her calling is to understand the larger purpose and Raijun adds in that it would be nice to get a little be of a clearer picture.
Time seems odd and the group realizes that it's probably best for them to leave before anything happens in the room, sighing as they realize that the next step is to go back to the middle door with the gold dragon. As they still have no orange crystal allowing them to progress further and all the other doors seem closed off they see little other path forward but several remark that they still feel like what we are doing is wrong.
Learning from some previous mistakes, this time the group enters the room with the dragon buffed - Hagren drinking a potion of speed, Raijun potion of the fist, Myra setting up Spryg to be big, Amelie giving Raijun advantage on initiative, and Myra and Raijun using some of the purple worm poison on their weapons. The dragon roars, commenting that he told us to leave and asking why we come back and bring "that thing" with us. The group attempts to explain but the dragon breathes a weakening gas on the group and begins the combat.
The combat is tough, with the group having expended more of their resources in the other battles and the frightening presence of the dragon causing some initial issues. Myra is able to mostly keep the dragon engaged on her while the others deal damage from around the room but a well placed round of dragon fire brings Amelie down. Sarya is able to revive Amelie as Myra goes in for the kill driving the poison further into the dragon as she beats it down. As the battle finishes an orange crystal appears on the floor near the dragon's body and a greater healing potion and level one mana potion appear on the floor.
Amelie takes a second to heal the group while Sarya explains what she saw from the devas earlier. Raijun suggests the bracelets but as he says the word it seems muffled and erased in everyone's mind. This leads to a lot of pantomiming of bracelet until the entire group is on board. Raijun uses stillness of mind and gets flashes seeing someone attach the bracelets, seeing them enter the rooms but as quickly as the memoires come back they seem to fade as though whatever presence is causing the issue is still affecting him. He starts to speak aloud about what he's seeing but the group only hears silence. He tries to write it down but when anyone looks at the page it seems blank.
Amelie asks if this kind of action is standard for Raijun and Myra admits that it wouldn't be the oddest thing he's done. Raijun looks proud of his writing and is hurt by no one believing him with Amelie being confused saying that her little ones were also proud but it was when they learned to write much younger. Raijun comments frustratedly that if Myra was the one saying there was problem everyone would believe her. And most of the group roll high enough to feel that he believes what he's saying about there being something off.
Raijun tries to use the heartbeat sensor but only gets the information on our group and no one else around indicating that there should also be no undead stalking us invisibly. Myra thinks on Raijun's words and the memory blanks around the bracelet and identifies something is off noting that she wouldn't wear the bracelet. However, as she goes to try to identify the bracelet her mind wanders and she seems to forget what she was doing moving on to something else instead.
As the group thinks on their problems they place the orange gem into the runes on the floor and find themselves teleported to a large colosseum, sunlight streaming in from above. They appear in the stands taking a moment to collect themselves wile a tournament seems to be starting below.

Report Date

23 Feb 2022