Chapter 5 - Challenge in the Catacombs

General Summary

A few hours after dealing with the cultists, the party went to rest in the Arrow of Lightning Inn. During the night, Rashida would stir in her sleep, as a deva visited her within her dreams.

Pathfinder 08 by Ayhotte

“Do not be afraid, Rashida. I am merely a messenger of Vanu-Am. Fate has come to tell you that the last disciple has been persecuted by the King of Potea in your absence. You are the only one left. But do not fear, Fate smiles upon you. She has heard the cries of the innocent in these lands.”
“There is a reason why Vanu-Am spared your life. A reason why she has placed you with these other travellers. Why she has sent her angelic steed, Sadalbari, into these lands. It is because Fate intends you to be her prophet against the evils of Loxelel. Take your mace and your shield, and through her given power, save the innocent from an undeserving fate from the teachings of Loxelel.”

After a night's rest, the party sent off to find Sadalbari's missing wing. However, the guards stopped them from exiting the city, as they were under investigation for the murder of Monoro and the fellow cultists. Theden tried to find an information seller, but his investigations failed to find anything. Rashida herself consorted to investigating more into the Cult of Loxelel and went to the stables to check up on Sadalbari. Creetens sought out his new acquaintance, Ascus. Apparently Ascus went to the Temple of Morganine and swore the oath of a holy warrior, and thus was given weapons and armor to fight in the name of Morganine. From that moment, Ascus had adopted the life style of a paladin.
After retrieving Ascus, the party reconvened and continued to search for information sellers. The party approached the Guildhall near the staircase to the acropolis. Once they arrived, many of the merchants were fleeing, as harpies were attacking their stands. The party fought back the harpies, and then met up with an elf named Lorcan who was attacked, and told them where to find an information seller. Theden approached Deimos, a human thief, and they discussed the Cult of Loxelel and their dealings with a wretched medusa. Deimos told Theden that the Cult of Loxelel met where the local aqueducts were being repaired, in underground catacombs.
The party went promptly to the aqueducts. Theden snuck into the construction site, while Creetens forged himself a pass. Once they entered the construction site, they found a hole into the ground with a staircase, an entrance to the catacombs. Notably, the catacombs were once for the goddess Morganine, but her images on the walls were smeared in blood. They walked down the staircase, with Ascus leading them in his bravery. Theden and Creetens snuck into a chamber in the catacombs, coming behind some of the cultists, who were chanting incantations toward their god.

“Loxelel, the father of blood, give us your power as we continue your glory to ascend beyond these mortal forms.”

Once their incantations finished, Theden and Creetens stabbed two of the cultists in the back. A scuffle broke out, with Ascus beginning to slice through the cultists and Rashida ringing necrotic energy from toll the dead spell. Once cultist, a woman named Della, was spared and Creetens used his spell suggestion to control her. She led them down part of the catacombs, and the party chose to visit the area with strange experiments. Della ran for her life once the party was attacked by a loose owlbear. Once the party defeated the owlbear, they entered the next chamber and found an elven woman transforming into a harpy. The party restored the harpies into their human form, and then continued into the last chamber.
They were quite disgusted from what they learned: the cultists of Loxelel were kidnapping people and animals and using the pegasus' blood to create monsters, such as harpies and owlbears, in order to please their twisted god Loxelel.
As Theden snuck closer to the chamber, he saw through the door a manticore and two lions, and a woman with snake for hair talking to it from the side. He also saw the pegasus' wing and some treasure.

Medusa by Irenhorrors

“Yes, our master will be quite pleased. The slaves have been fantastic test subjects. First with the harpies in Oenens, and soon the manticores here in Myrna. Unfortunately, I cannot continue to overlook the progress. I must return to Demetria, for I fear our presence has been alerted by that incompetent Monoro.”

Theden was rightly terrified to see the medusa, but was glad she teleported away after her instructions to the manticore. Theden tried to get the drop on the manticore, but it spotted him. The rest of the party rushed into the room and started to fight. Creetens placed a gas cloud in the room to blind the lions and rushed to get the wing of Sadalbari and a strange carpet. Ascus fought the manticore 1 on 1, and Theden and Rashida assisted him. Once they defeated the manticore, Creetens betrayed the party by running out of the chamber and dropping the cloud. The rest of the party was left to the lions.
Creetens was stopped on his tracks by some cultists who imprisoned him. He found a way to escape by pulling out a harpy feather he collected earlier and picking his way out of his cell. He then grabbed the pegasus wing and the carpet and escaped. By the time he escaped, he found the rest of the party had defeated the lions. The party took a cave exit from the manticore's lair and didn't see the cultists again. Exiting the cave, they found Sadalbari and returned his wing. Sadalbari was grateful to the party, and then flew away, telling them he would return. Then the party snuck into the city before the guards could figure out. Theden climbed in, but Rashida discovered the carpet was magical and could fly, so she used that to levitate herself, Creetens, and Ascus into the city.

Jethro: Oh dear Theodora. I feel sick to my stomach.

Theodora: Truly a disturbing sight to our heroes. Perhaps our adventurers have gotten into a struggle beyond their scope?

Jethro: What tragedy of a story have you thrown them into, sister?

Theodora: Mmm. Do not get hard feelings yet Jethro. Tragedy has not come yet.

Jethro: YET??

In World Date

August 27th-29th, 2003

Report Date

13 Sep 2020

Primary Location

Myrna

Manticore by Kikicianjur

The vile Manticore, a creation by the cultists of Loxelel that served as one of their beasts of the hunt.

Characters in this adventure:

• Rashida is a loyal human disciple of Vanu-Am, the hidden goddess of fate, who has saved her from death. Rashida devoted her life to hermitage, walking around the coast of Dragoncrest to secretly assist the misfortunate. She hails from Tamay.

• Theden is an elven acrobat and storyteller, hailing from Potea. He has a strong ethical code, looking out for the little guy and does the right thing more often than not.

• Creetens is a triton bard, one who prefers to enchant his problems away. He is a charlatan and a thief, but as well as a proper performer and musician. He was exiled away from the triton kingdom for his ravaging behavior.

Allies of the Party:

• Ascus the Brave. Once a drunkard, Ascus turned aside that life and found purpose as a hero. He swore his life to Morganine and fights for her honor and glory.