The Cultists Of Sel-kai: Part Three

General Summary

Returning to the cisterns a few hours later, Cherry carefully leads the party northwards to explore the small passage that led away from the main reservoir. This eventually leads to a smaller overflow water reserve and two locked doors. The northernmost has been cleverly camouflaged; the lock has been carefully aged such that it looks old and unused. In fact there is evidence that this part of the complex has been used quite frequently. Beyond another pump room are two small reservoirs and a cultist ambush. The fight does not last long and Ugnan is able to keep alive one of the ambushers long enough for Sylke to enchant the hapless man. Questioning him carefully, Sylke learns that their leader is a man (?) called "the Minister". They also discover that excavations of some sort are being carried out beneath the city by the cultists and that stairs further to the north will eventually lead to an apothecary's shop and a means to re-enter Sel-kai. All of the cultists have been ritually burned on their right arms, repeatedly.
Remembering that they heard signs of chains from behind a locked door and fierce heat from a nearby second, the party re-trace their footsteps in the hopes of finding the cultists mining operation. It has been hours since the party discovered what looks like an important meeting place and the chambers have been undisturbed in that time. Cran forces down the door to the north with his trusty crowbar but it leads to a prison of some sort. Four cages sit in a bare room; one contains the dead body of a child. Angry and disgusted, the party open up the second locked chamber to find a whirling fire elemental and a small altar. Obviously this tallies with the scarring of the cultists they killed earlier. The chamber is empty save for the bound elemental and the party hesitate before attacking. Though the elemental is not a large one, it is a potentially dangerous foe and the party discuss their options carefully from a safe distance.
With Lyssa's help and a wall of water created by Ugnan, the voracious creature is first drenched and then assaulted by Cherry and Cran. Distracted by a thunderous Shock Bolt from Sylke, the elemental is destroyed before it can do any harm and the portal which sustained it and though which it fled is then destroyed.
The altar and chamber immediately begin to cool but sadly there is little save for a thin beaten copper sheet which has a summoning ritual inscribed on it. Below the arcane incantation, written in a far more intelligible hand is the phrase "Here says Larkrise."

Report Date

28 Dec 2018