A Sunken Temple In The Sea? Sure... Report
General Summary
A few days have gone by since the rescue of the Grey Maiden and the recovery of the Shard of Being that was embedded in an artefact. The Pack has been resting and recuperating as the Sea Spell moves towards the location of where the Sea Elves have asked for help. The sea elves did do their best to provide help and support to the Pack during their mission to find the Maiden in exchange for the Pack's help with a sunken temple.
As Captain Redeye informed them that their destination was near, they begun to make preparations. Tal Adorne helped with some minor enchantments for party members so they could survive up to 2,000 feet deep before the pressure began to crush their bodies. Some other prep was to deal with archery underwater and to make some adjustments to armor and garments. Kettle swapped his full plate for a set of mariner's armor made of chain mail.
Once approaching the destination, the Sea Spell dropped anchor and the party made contact with the sea elf group leader, Coral. Coral informed them that she had a cleric in her group that could cast the spell Water Breathing on the Pack, which they met the sea elf cleric named Nilae Aquaria Astelle. Coral told them that Nilae would be accompanying them into the temple to aid them despite the temple's surroundings already killing a few of the other sea elves. Nilae cast the spell and with the help of some rope and Kettle's Mariner's Armor, they all dove down at a solid speed towards the base camp that the sea elves made near the temple's location.
Upon arriving, Coral explained their situation in full detail. These sea elves are actually stranded here from another world, a world the party keeps running into over and over again called Exandria. The group is part of exploratory research unit from the Cobalt Soul. They are based out of the Lucidian Ocean near Nicodranas. They were exploring some sunken ruins when some kind of mystical whirlpool sucked them in and teleported them to Toril and thus stranding them here outside this temple. The sea elves tried to go to the Toril Sea Elves but were turning them away to aid as they were not from any of their tribes or from these waters. With such a poor interaction with the sea elves, they didn't try to go to land and ask for help from the major cities either. So they tried to do the only thing they could which was explore this temple and see how to get home from around the seas here. It was on one of their explorations that they encountered the Pack a few weeks ago which led to this moment of the Pack answering their plea.
The Pack took off towards the temple and begun to cross the abyssal trench via the think land bridge connecting the two shelves. Once about half way over, Giant Electric Eels slithered out from the walls and came after the party, trying to electrocute them and drag them down into the depths. Manon Galanodel acted quickly and used Animal Friendship on them to at least charm two of creatures while the others began their assaults. With some shots from bows and swings of weapons, the eels were dispatched but not without consequence. One of the fallen corpses awakened the slumbering monstrosity lurking in the deep trench. The entity called out to Faye and used telepathy to communicate Deep Speech to her. Filling her with fear, she immediately ordered the group to get in the door immediately as this creature began to rise.
The door, however, was magically sealed. Upon the door was an inscribed text in the language of aquan that said:
"Temple of Umberlee"
"Do Not Enter"
"Infested"
"Trials Ahead"
Along the side of the door was a receptacle for something and in aquan were the words "Insert Sacrifice". Thinking it was one of the eels, they took a corpse and inserted it into the hole. Nothing happened and the sacrifice was shot out from the receptacle. Remembering information about Umberlee and how her clerics would use severed hands of those who drowned as holy objects, Noatak thrust her hands into it and a magical blade cut off her hand, cauterized it, and then runically bound it so magic healing could not fix it. The door did open after this was done.
Once in, the doors closed and sealed behind them and kept the entity from grabbing them. Once inside, a flash of light caused the water to drain, giving the party the ability to traverse the temple halls above water. Which is where the next leg of the adventure began.
Faye, filled with frustration, expressed her...well..frustration with the group that they once again undertook a task for people who they don't even know very well. I believe the group shrugged on the comment and moved on. From there, the group encountered strange locks on doors that required some kind of strange spherical object to act as the key. The party learned that they would need to disarm traps, solve strange puzzles, and defeat monsters in order to obtain these spheres.
The first situation was two Drowned Blades that came from behind a disarmed door and begun to attack the party with dripping infested pustules oozing and exploding upon their skin. But once dispatched, a sphere was located in one of their remains. A sphere that unlocked one of the doors in the hallway and a message appeared on the door that said "Send your strongest so that they may face their trial". The party chose Noatak.
Noatak entered the room and it closed behind her, and she was shown a chained and broken-spirited young silver dragon. A voice echoed in her head "Slay that of which your worship" and Noatak felt all her protections and powers disappear from her that were granted by friends or the Platinum Dragon and was allowed her strength and prowess. But her faith proven to be greater than any power or trial and the Platinum Dragon was able to reach his paladin, granting her the power to free the dragon with a painless death and setting it's spirit free to be reborn. Thus, passing the first trial and unlocking one of the locking orbs on the front door of the temple.
Another room that was opened revealed a deep dark pool of water that also had a hole in the center of the pool that led back into the trench outside; deep, dark, and endless. This room was turned away from and the party continued.
The next room, where the Drowned came from, was a room full of mirrors. Not sure what the purpose was, the party filed in and begun to look but Kettle found the mirror a bit alluring and walked towards it to investigate. Once placing his shield upon it, a force grabbed his body and pulled him in and spat him out right away but what he faced was powerful undead versions of his friends that he begun to attack - Problem is, those "undead" were the actual party members who saw Kettle having a completely monochrome appearance and red glowing eyes. Some kind of "Change of Heart" curse took over Kettle. Springing into action, knowing what he can do, the Pack tried its best to disarm him which Faye was able to do with a trick shot from her bow. Ashira had an idea as she noticed the reflection of Kettle in the mirrors was the real Kettle. She informed the party and they begun to try and push him back into the mirror and hope it would switch him back. The planned did indeed work and Kettle came back properly and two mirrors of the room disappeared. Ashira then turned around and decided to try and destroy more mirrors but once she touched them, the same curse took over her too. The party was able to quickly stop her and get her back.
Once the room was emptied of the party, Manon cast the spell Shatter upon the room and broke all the remaining mirrors. Thus stopping the Change of Heart curse and revealing another sphere that laid on the floor amongst the broken mirror glass. But to Manon's surprise, purple energy came from the shattered pieces and thrust into her body, cursing her with unluck.
With barely an hour into the dungeon, the party has discovered that this temple was meant to challenge them in more ways then their combat efficiency. Here's to hoping they continue to do well in that aspect!Rewards Granted
A gold coin of value in Manon's possession.
Character(s) interacted with
- Coral of the Cobalt Soul
- Tal Adorne of the Alabaster Lyceum
- Captain Redeye of the Sea Spell
- Nirayne, First Mate of the Sea Spell.
Manon Galanodel
Chaotic Good Lightfoot Halfling (Adopted )
Bard 11
Bard 11
56 / 69 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
17
17
CON
13
13
INT
12
12
WIS
14
14
CHA
19
19
Nilae Aquaria Astelle
Faye
Report Date
20 Nov 2022
Primary Location
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