"Jep ka rityip", quoth the Shifter. Report

General Summary

After realizing the predicament that Isla Heron was in, the group decided it would be best to quickly leave the area. After some investigation of the cave, they discovered books pertaining to the Cult of the Fanged Eye, with the insignia carved into the interior of the front cover. Looking around, they determined the best way out was to first explore the hole near the top of the cave, some 200 feet up the wall. Isla decided to cast spider climb on herself and move toward the exit, scouting for the party.
Isla briefly appeared at the opening after scouting for a moment, but the running water and shape of the cave made it near impossible to hear communication from the shifter. She discovered craggy rock slides, impassable terrain, and impossibly thick forest floor and vegitation. She deemed the area far too difficult to traverse back down, and went in search of the entrance. However, she had gotten herself turned around and couldn't find it.

Maybe I could fire a burning arrow up through the hole?

— Yendor De'sic, shortly before being struck by his own arrow.

Some time later, the group began to worry about the safety of a shifter who could only speak and understand Goblin. Yendor decided he should fire a burning arrow through the hole in the cave ceiling, hoping to signal her. He was quite successful in firing the arrow, but as the fates would have it he seemed to aim directly back to himself. The signal was successful and Isla managed to find her way back to the party.

DM Aside - it is fascinating how in the strangest of times I can call for someone to roll a d20 at random, having selected a random number in my head. I say, there is a 5% chance they roll the exact number. And boy, does it pay off when they do.

The party backtracked their way through the tunnels and managed to come back to the staging area, gore-chute and all. At the bottom of the chute, the found a moving, moaning pile of bodies. Carefully, they pulled the top corpse back and revealed a living person! He introduced himself as Storic. Having just been happy to find living people, he came clean about his involvement with the Gold Roses, hoping to buy some freedom. Luckily, this was just the group of people he was looking for. The party patched him up and prepared to make good their escape.

You enter a room that is built with what looks to be large sandstones, as if they are in an ancient desert temple of some sort. An incredibly massive and gaudy bronze chandelier hangs in the middle of the ceiling casting bright light throughout the room from old, webby candles. There are runes inscribed along the top of the wall circling around the room.
The floor is covered with fine sand. On the far side of the room sits the exit door bearing a lavish depiction of an artist using a paintbrush as a spear to throw at a very large bird. There are sunshine rays sprawling from the tip of the paintbrush.
In the middle of the room is an altar that sits beneath the bronze chandelier with a shockingly clean leather hide on it with an inscription on the altar that reads: “Use your head to paint me red, inside of thee resides your key.”

I really don't think we should be bashing anyone's head open...

— Storic, terrified of DAOMN

After some investigation of the room, the party briefly deliberated using Storic's head to coat the parchment in blood. After various attempts of small cuts between them, Yendor sliced his arm deeply, pouring blood onto the parchment. An arrow shot from behind the group as a blood golem facsimile of Yendor had appeared. The creature was dispatched quickly, and the exit of the room revealed itself.
Seeing the tapestry on their way out of the dungeon, Imra requested that the party attempt to salvage the masterpiece. It was rolled and carried between Heiron and Auxi. DAOMN quickly left the dungeon, Storic in tow, and made their way to the Gold Roses encampment outside. Cedric was ecstatic to see Storic alive, but was saddened by the loss of their other scouts. They broke camp and made haste back to the Gold Roses meeting site.
Upon arriving, Storic was treated and brought to Atiel Elervir. She spoke with him privately for a few moments, before organizing a funeral pyre for their lost scouts. While there were no bodies to burn, the camp still gathered in silence to remember their fallen comrades. After the funeral ceremony, a light meal was laid out for the brigands, and Atiel spoke to the party. She said "You have held up your end of the bargain, now allow me to deliver mine", and motioned to two of her soldiers. They disappeared for a moment, then returned with a bound Isabel Twoorb , and thrust her at the feet of DAOMN.

Campaign

The Fanged Eye Gnashes

Protagonists

Yendor De'sic

Level 5 Wood Elf Chaotic Good Ranger
(Folk Hero)

13 / 35 HP

Martiri

Lehiri

Level 3 Tiefling Chaotic Neutral Rogue

/ 24 HP

Isla Heron

Maitar Stewar

Report Date

25 Sep 2020