16: The Streets of Lakeport

General Summary

28th of Solwin

The group meets Penny (a halfling), Seti (a high elf), and Lyri (a half-drow). The other group is working on repairing a sunken ship to sail into the lake. The adventurers help them move sails to the docks.

The "sisters" invite the party to eat and rest with them at the house they've been staying in. 

Tannar sets up his tent in the attic. 

29th of Solwin

In the morning, they meet Saga, a Norn (aka Fate or moirai). She reveals herself as the fortune teller they met in Stagspire. She summons 6 cards from Tannar's deck and gives them a cryptic message.

“Five Cups and Ten Swords brought down the Tower. And with the rising Moon, Ten Cups filled by Five Swords are offered. Beware the secrets and monsters that bleed out of this land.” - Saga

Saga also recommends to Phyrra that they visit the catacombs of the Three Sisters. The group takes her advice, and while their three new companions return to the docks to continue ship repair, they make their way across the overgrown roads. 

At the temple, they hear noises through the door and elect to climb the building and peer in from the shattered glass dome. They see four supernatural canines inside, a hell hound, a garmr, a yeth hound, and a blink dog. Tannar uses prestidigitation to lure the hounds away from the temple with the smell of meat. 

Moonseeker jumps down from the roof, sending a foot crashing through the glass mosaic floor below, revealing hints of the catacombs. Before heading below, they investigate the specialized temples of each of the Three Sisters. Though they don't find much, they do find some documents detailing permission being given to a scholar to research an artifact in the catacombs. From there, they proceed outside to the entrance of the catacombs and break the lock. 

“You descend down marble stairs, deeper than you would expect, into a dark hallway. But about 40 feet ahead of you, past a line of support columns, you see the hallway opens into a space illuminated by dim beams of colorful light. A statue of a winged woman is just barely visible at the edge of the darkness. Between the first two support columns, narrow hallways extend to your left and right.”

The tunnels below are partially flooded and dark. Along with the many bodies along the halls, there are three buried champions with their own tombs. The sarcophagus for the champion of Shaemora is open and around it are scattered notes, mostly turned to pulp in the water, and a damaged arcane circle, at the center of which sits a silver cube engraved with runes. The construction and runes of the box remind them of the music box back in Stagespire that opened a planar rift. Tannar and Tebraen have little luck deciphering the circle, gathering only that it affects time in some way. They proceed to the center of the catacombs, a much more ancient structure that the rest of the complex was built around and contains an equally ancient sarcophagus. The tomb says "My life given to save Sisters Three. Offerings of devotion will bring protection to thee." To each of the surrounding altars, the party gives something related to the corresponding god, causing the tomb to open and reveal a tarnished silver shield. The Shield of the Blessed Moons is engraved with stars, all centered around a constellation called the Four Candles, and trimmed with blue, white, clear, and black gems. 

The group next visits the Temple of Yteus. It appears completely untouched by the destruction and time that claimed the rest of the city. When Phyrra, Tannar, and Tebraen step across the threshold, they are overwhelmed by visions of golden wings shimmering in the bright sun. They see the blood-splattered face of Ildra, standing over a crib. Remi, eyes consumed by darkness, turn his back from them. Arnaud, mercilessly slaughtering priests. A seed of doubt is planted in their minds. Those people are dangerous. They’re chaotic. They can’t be trusted. They don’t deserve protection. Inside the temple, they find a single magic item- an Ioun Stone of Strength. 

Their last stop for the day is the temple of Oseus. It is incredibly ostentatious, sporting a gilded and bejeweled vault at the rear of the building. Many bodies litter the floor and desks, and the group finds amulets of different metal types on the remains. Each amulet type corresponds with a different vault and riddle. They find the following in the vaults:
Platinum Vault: “From each the noble (1 pp = 1000 cp), the merchant (1 gp = 100 cp), the fisher (1 sp = 10 cp), and the pauper (1 cp), I take a single coin. How many coppers are they worth? (1111 cp)”

• 100 platinum
• 1000 gold
• 2000 silver

Copper Vault: “Speak that which holds roots or wines or refugees of storms.” (cellar)

• Rare rotting fruit in a cold room
• 16 bottles of Alfenwine

Gold Vault: “Onyx, Agate, and Emerald, how many of each to make the same?” (20, 100, 1)

• 10 turquoise
• 4 jasper
• 2 pearl
• 6 ivory (50gp)

Silver Vault: “I adorn the cards of gamblers and hands of brides.” (diamond)

• Jeweled gold crown (7,500 gp)
• Jeweled Horn (100 gp)
• Spider silk robe dotted with gems (1,000 gp)
• Gold music box with the royal crest painted on the inside lid (2,500 gp)

Report Date

18 Sep 2021