The Mouth of Doom: Session 46
General Summary
Rakshasa’d
Report Date
04 Sep 2021
The palpable feeling of dread had still remained after the Wrenjer’s had taken care of the high priest of the Upper Temple. They could feel the dread radiating from the statue. The same statue that seemed to be watching them and talking to them just moments ago. While some of the Wrenjers started to discuss how to destroy the statue, Zetwuzadi, Artem and Enya began to investigate the secret doors. Using the key they found on the priest, they opened the southern door and discovered that it delved deeper into the dungeon. Closing the door, they moved back to the group before heading behind the looming statue. The others were still talking about how to successfully destroy the statue of the Master. Unfortunately they do believe that it was rather too large to just blast it and the magic that was blanketing it was worrisome. The paladin recalled her wren and had them touch the statue. Predictably, a snap of necrotic energy greeted the small familiar’s touch and they were zapped. With the knowledge that touching it would be devastating, they moved to the last secret door behind the statue. Using the same key, they opened and peered into the bedroom of the high priest. Artem could see the three other glyphs awaiting them if they ventured into the room. Closing the door, the scouts returned to the others who had decided that their best course of option would be to seek an inaethri’s wisdom.
While the scouts had moved to the priest’s bedroom, Zetwuzadi had started the process of moving the bodies to the barracks. At one point one of the Wrenjer’s wanted to scoop the vrock’s body into the lava but when a small amount landed in the burning rock, the smell was too atrocious and they stopped. As Leofric set up his ritual, Artem and Jarvis investigated the barracks as Zetwuzadi started to fill it with the bodies. They found the six locked chests. Most of them were armed with magical traps and some mundanely. Artem discovered that each chest seemed to be keyed to a particular individual. The chests mainly contained items that were unremarkable. But they did find some magical items. Artem had been rather deft with each lock until he got to the last one; barely unlocking it without triggering the magical blindness that would have rendered the scout permanently changed. He discovered that the chests do move and would be rather useful as when the rogue shut each chest they automatically relocked.
One of the items that Artem had found was a slick black leather book that radiated magic and showed no wear and tear. Settling herself into her own ritual, Te’Leyuura, through Sindragosa, began the process of identifying the book. Meanwhile, Leofric had started contacting Calelis. A shiver ran up the wizard’s spine, through her connection to Sindragosa who was touching the book, it didn’t feel cold but as if they brushed up against something unnatural. She discovered that the book was a way for an evil cleric to gain wisdom. A creeping voice tempted her, she could gain insight into the clerics if she just spent some time with the Ineffable Foulness. Te’Leyuura was stronger than the book and after explaining to the others what she had found they tossed the book into the lava. Peering down, as the book burned a salamander grabbed it. Now that they were out of the stressful battle, they were able to surmise that the lava might lead to the elemental plane of fire.
In a moment of levity, the statue’s shadow hanging over Leofric wasn’t as bad. It almost felt like he was daydreaming as the sounds around him turned to those of a forest at night. He could hear the creatures settling down for rest and the wind gently blowing through the boughs. Leofric looked upset as his eyes opened and he spoke to the others. The cleric’s eyes were pink and his voice changed as the inaethri’s power channeled through him. "You must make haste - you have until the rise of the next moon of light and darkness to Dispel the Evil that holds this chamber, or all your efforts will have been in vain." Leofric understood that Calelis was referencing the quarter moon that was only a few days away and that they would need to dispel the evil, not just the magic on the statue. Feeling uncomfortable about discussing the destruction of the statue in front of the very statue that seemed to be still watching them, Artem pulled them back to the chamber where they had fought the stirges. While the others discussed what they should do, Erukoesk started the task of bringing the bodies to Max, the otyugh.
They knew that they didn’t have a lot of time to acquire the ability to dispel the evil and with their last battle, Ansible had regained some of the magic that had been dormant within the warlock. Te’Leyuura asked why they didn’t just ask one of the Ready Wrenjers at Calaelen as they were made aware of their mission. However, they decided that they could teleport over to Gylidd Syn Aethri and purchase a scroll. Zetwuzadi did send Arddan an update during this conversation. The paladin let them know that they cleared the Upper Temple but were in need of a scroll of Dispel Evil to finish the job. Arddan held off his congratulations but instructed that they would have those available for purchase at the Wrenjer stores in Gylidd. Before they magically traveled, they checked in with Max. The otyugh was rather grateful for the food and had already started making some trash piles. During the process he had discovered that hidden in one of the zombie ogre leg’s was a beautifully made circlet. He had started too munch on the metal but his acidic mouth didn’t break the item and so they determined that it must be magical. Max presented them with the item as Zetwuzadi shared what had happened in the temple.
Knowing that Ansible would be able to shorten their travel time significantly, the Wrenjers decided to investigate the high priest’s room more thoroughly. Enya, Te’Leyuura and Leofric dispelled each of the three glyphs of warding before Artem and Jarvis meticulously investigated the bedroom. The well appointed chamber was full of expensive pieces. With their time constricted and their bags full they only grab some of the books and vowed to collect the other items upon their return. They decided to fall back to the larger chamber that they first stepped into the dread. Ansible had teleported many times before her long sleep and knew exactly which sigils to draw on the ground. With a snap of energy they were above ground near a grove. The faint smell of burning rock had accompanied the magic and as it quickly dissipated the Wrenjers took in their surroundings. They were near the Rhuddinwyd and as they watched, the Wrenjers walking the grove acknowledged them but went on about their business. Wrenjers are usually individualistic and so while some eyes were on them, the rest went back to what they were doing. They navigated their way to the quartermaster on duty. Ruloth Kerrhylon, a black dragonborn Ready Crown Wrenjer with a crude sense of humor and an affinity for mountain climbing sold them two scrolls of Dispel Evil.
Some of the Wrenjers spent their evening walking the Rhuddinwyd, feeling the calm return to them as the wood’s magic cleansed some of the sinking feelings the dungeon had bestowed upon them. Te’Leyuura, wanted something fun and frivolous after dealing with the heaviness of the dungeon. She spent her evening in the Cann district watching comedy shows and drinking the best tea she could find.
The next morning they teleported to the Mouth of Doom, it was the closest circle that they knew off. Knowing that if they would need to rest once in the Gut, they determined it wasn’t safe enough at the Last One Inn as it would be an odd night. Utilizing Jarvis and Enya they swiftly moved through the underground highway and made it to the snake’s cave. While they were in the city, the Wrenjers had acquired a magically warm rock. It was roughly three feet and disk shaped. They offered Blood on Wet Stone the warm rock as a gift for letting them stay there a second time. They presented the stone and the snake spent a better part of an hour just tasting, smelling, inspecting it. They carefully pushed their nest to the side, looked back at the Wrenjers for help to lift the rock and they set it in place. After the Wrenjers helped place their nest back, the blind snake coiled away from them, acknowledging that they felt comfortable with them in her cave.
Moving quickly through the area on the sixth of Miha, the Wrenjers only came across one group. As they neared the Gate, the ogres were heading the opposite way. Ansible was able to communicate with the ogres and learned that the leader was called Broham and they were looking for their brother, Ambro. A wizard had told them that they would find Ambro at this level and that is why they just keep walking around muttering ‘fucking wizards.’ When they get past the gate, they run full speed past the awaiting skeletons and head up to the Dungeon of Graves. By the time they neared the dread, they all had to push through the exhaustion of travel. The aura hit them, the sensation manifesting even after those who were able to push through the dread. It felt like the fear was founded, that they left the temple unfinished and more danger must await them. What if they were supposed to have dealt with it before they left, surely Calelis told them the truth. As his party members started to fight the fear, Leofric channeled the twilight and eased his companions.
Their path was unobstructed and when they arrived back at Max’s home, they found the otyugh sprawled on one of the trash heaps he had made. They continued straight to the temple, not wanting to wait any longer. Everything was how they left it, other than some scraping marks through the vrock’s remains. The Wrenjers found a place around Leofric for the spell. Pulling out the scroll they noted the elegant script, this scroll was crafted in Zhen Ishraihadasha by the same elves that venerate Calelis. As Leofric looked up to the statue, he felt small but Zetwuzadi placed her hand on his shoulder and he could feel the warmth of Enya playing with fire nearby. The twilight cleric’s words are clear but the room sounds like they transmuted them and what they hear back sounds backwards, distorted. Leofric pressed on, focused on the scroll. He could hear Jarvis almost saying the words with him as he continued. About halfway through the spell the scroll starts to disintegrate in their hands and in tandem a pink light appears at the feet of the statue. The Master’s eyes stared down at the tiny cleric as the pink flame licked up the statue. Artem could see the magic on the statue unraveling. “The insolence, the arrogance. In the end your souls will kneel. I warned you before, there is no victory that is not mine. Feel my spite. You will never know your own success while victory is still mine to control.” As the words filled the area, they could see the statue’s eyes glow red in opposition to the pink flame. Splintering formed across the statue and they could hear a hissing noise as if the built up pressure within the statue was trying to escape. The lava in the middle of the room went inert as if the heat was syphoned. The room went dark, the only light coming from the glowing red eyes and the pink flame. Leofric did not get to finish the scroll as the statue exploded, releasing the arcana buried within it. All of the Wrenjers fall unconscious as the magic blanketed the room.
Not knowing how long it had been, the Wrenjers came to above ground. They could feel the sea spray on the wind and hear the seagulls as they looked about. It was hard to focus and they still had ringing in their ears but it seemed that they were being tended to by other Wrenjers. Kobeck approached them happy that they were awake. Apparently the First Eldspear had been following them for some time and had been kept abreast of their advancement by Arddan. They were proud of what the Wrenjers had been able to accomplish but it had saddened them when they found them in the massive pit, unconscious. They talk a bit about what had happened in the Upper Temple and how the statue took its revenge on them. Kobeck turned to Enya and made her a full fledged Wrenjer as Artem continued to explain what they had dealt with. Kobeck agreed that they indeed have found a remnant of Tsar and it seemed to upset the leader of the Wrenjers. Te’Leyuura had started to ask about any more information about the Anima Engine as Jarvis quickly signed to Ansible about illusions.
Zetwuzadi asked the First Eldspear when they had last met and it seemed correct but it was odd. Their companions were all in a row and no one had walked more than ten feet in either direction. The rogue stretched and moved, Kobeck smiled as Artem walked into bars and the illusion faded. They were in cages and the one who had casted the illusion had just finished placing vials of blood in their jacket. The rakshasa smiled as they teleported away with their blood. It was obvious that they had been out for some time and all of their items were sprawled out on the table outside the cages. Nothing seemed to be taken, other than their blood.
