Coia: 34 - Closer to the Heart
General Summary
Shopping really takes its toll on most of the Vanguard and they decide to hang around town for the night. Nym heads back to the caravan to finish his book. Mithac and Polonius head back over to the tavern. Lucy, Szarden, and Zen decide they still want some bolts and arrows and head to the blacksmith. Garus wanders off alone.
On exiting the blacksmiths shop, a drow princess confronts them and cries “How dare you steal from me!”. Szarden recognizes her as the same House of Dhunnan (a noble house of the Underdark) drow that he stole the jade pendant from back in Calimport. She and her Yochlol buddy attack the group, but they quickly overcome her and Szarden fires the fatal shot to end her life. Zen loots her for 60G and 100S which they split along with a Piwafwi Cloak and a Subtle Cricket.
Mithac and Polonius get wasted in the tavern and decide to rent rooms for the night. Polonius barely makes it upstairs and collapses on his floor. Mithac stays at the bar and after spotting Gerhart, joins him at his table where he notes that the Rod of Rulership is primarily for ceremonial purposes. Lucy, Szarden, and Zen come into the bar and update Mithac on their adventure. They all decide to get rooms for the night and retire after some heavy drinking. Garus wanders off alone.
The next morning the group heads over to the castle where they meet up with Nym who’s finally finished his manual and is feeling sprightly. The castle is in the middle of the city, surrounded by a large moat. They enter and wait their turn to be heard, noticing that Lord Geddy Lee may lean a bit toward the corrupt side. When their turn arrives, Nym gives a brief overview but suggests the details may be better discussed in private as he doesn’t want to alarm the public that the world is in danger.
The Man-at-Arms (Earl Alex Lifeson) and the bishop usher the Vanguard into a side chamber where they explain their quest. Suspicious of their tale, Alex is begrudgingly accepting and tells the bishop to “keep Geddy in line” while he escorts the Vanguard to the cathedral. They go downstairs into the catacombs and Alex tells them that the Rod and Jewels are in a room straight down the hallway. There is a stained-glass floor, and the Rod of Rulership is behind a stone door. He notes the last time anyone has seen it was a decade ago when Lord Lee came to power. He assumes it must be still there. He unlocks the main gate at the end of the hall and wishes them luck.
The halls and rooms are lit by a magical blue light and Polonius notices that the dust on the ground has recently been disturbed although he can’t say by what. As they wander towards the central chamber, they come across several statues with writing on the bottom in Druid. In some of the rooms they notice the floor looks slightly different and an object is there along with some Druid writings.
In the central chamber they find things exactly as Alex described. On the left is another black iron gate behind which they see the crown jewels including a scepter, and golden ampule in the shape of a dove, a crown, and other riches. On the right is a set of steps leading up to what appears to be a large stone door. The door is divided into 4 quadrants and on further inspection, each quadrant has a glyph of a different element (earth, air, wind, and fire). The stained-glass floor looks like the one in a nearby Sylvanus church and offers no further hints. Around the room are 4 pillars holding up the ceiling and 4 gargoyle statues, one in each corner.
Turning to the crown jewels, Sszarden attempts to send his mage hand through the bars, but it is dispelled as soon as it touches them. Garus attacks the stone gargoyle with his sword which bounces off. They try a variety of ways to open the stone door but without success. We blew everything in the room. Deciding there may be more clues elsewhere, they proceed to investigate the rest of the chambers.
- B: On a gold hook hangs a mithral-bound sensor with ruby gems “Has eye, but cannot see. Stronger than man but no hands or feet” Fine statue of angel in praise stance
- C: On a shelf, there’s a small brazier with glyphs and ashes in it “I grow as you are burned. Salve to the acid, your skin returns” Fine statue of angel in prayer stance : “Lord of Souls”
- E: Simple statue of a farmer: “Lord of the Land” Simple statue of a blacksmith: “Lord of the Iron”
- G: Simple statue of a butcher: “Lord of the Animal” Simple statue of a miller: “Lord of the Wheat”
- I: Gold Bowl “Hard as rock, but not stone. In summer I am gone” Fine statue of angel
- J: Small metal chest, inside is an obsidian saucer with a grey and brown mottled sandstone with gems “I can make one strong or another blind. I make buildings strong or tear them down over time” Fine statue of angel
Sszardan T'Sarran
Zenhorn
Mithac Fezim
Lucius
Garus Silenus
Pelonious Pomp
Nym Lenore
Report Date
12 Jun 2023