Session 12 - Vermin and Witchcraft

General Summary

From Bandua's journal, 10 Martius
Who could say that a dwarf would feel oppressed and, may I add, afraid being surrounded by rocks and honored ancestors – vermin and their witchcraft, I say! Because this old dwarf has seen a world of things in his life but never confronted such fear.
With very little clues and just our motivation to maybe give our friends a respectful funeral, we set forth to find them (or their bodies) in this witchcraft infested place.
What intrigues me is the fact that this race of beings that thus far none of us was aware of seeming to chief a cult of lizard-like creature that, up until this point, was completely unknown to me. They, for sure, toy with necromantic arts (something that Hassan and Kleeck later explained that had to do with the arcane manipulations of the energy of the dead) and are no better than you average Urke (dwarvish: orc) in combat, but first, we dealt with their minions.
A multitude of skeletons, dozens of them, awoke from their slumber to come and claim our lives and join them in Brak-Var (dwarvish: after-life). Unlucky were they to fight us! Not even with their explosive arcane magics, they were a match for us.
Kleeck seems to, in each of these encounters, perfect his skills as a frugni warrior (dwarvish: Aarakocra), as well as Hassan, with his own magics and Laura that slowly becomes a force to be reckoned with (thanks to me, of course).
I must say that the little weasel (that the name now escapes me, and if there is a change in plans and a shortage of food would surely be a snack) impressed me with its combat skills as well.
After looting what seemed to be the tomb of a lizard-creature Krong (dwarvish: King), we continued our path east after a much-needed clue, in the form of a broach, but following its possible path had proven to be unfruitful since we could only find some elaborate statues with mystical powers of their own.
Hassan, with his almost dwarvish ability to recognize good gems, pointed out a good example of how a gem should be cut, that served as one of the creature's eyes. A creature of legend, I may add, a Drak (dwarvish: Dragon) with all its power beautifully crafted in stone.
Silly me to trust a Brarakzi (dwarvish: Human/ tall and skinny words merged together) to do that, but there I went and puff! I could see and hear everybody, but my body was no more. I felt as if I was floating, which I, in fact, was, but with no limbs … just smoke, like a cloud in an open sky.
Okvra (dwarvish: magic) of the worst kind, especially when you are trying to compensate your losses during an already most unproductive enterprise. Luckily the witchcraft was temporary and I was able to be myself again, but time was running against us.
Ahead, another statue loomed, but now lizard-like minions were chanting and worshiping it. Vermin!
After a calculated approach, we attacked, and once more were victorious but no sign of our friends (or their bodies).
We pressed on; they depend on us, even if it is to give them a hero's funeral.

Rewards Granted

125 Experience Points

Missions/Quests Completed

Minor Milestone: Reach the Necropolis center.

Notes

Creatures encountered:

• Animated Skeleton  (some with strange runes on their foreheads, which exploded when destroyed)
• Lizardfolk
• Mimic 

Report Date

21 Aug 2020

Primary Location

Rhodanensis