E13 - Burning Questions

General Summary

It begins with a fight. Two ghoulish creatures with poisonous claws attacked the party, but were easily dispatched. As one perished, it uttered a final phrase - "All this, just to die?" During the melee, a subterranean chamber was found below the tree fountain. Descending the stairs, the party discovered a strange site. The room, bathed in blue light, had a statue of an elven woman wielding a greatsword, and two bodies. One was a clearly deceased elvish priest with a clawed face. The other was also an elf, wearing dated Shahalesti military garb, specifically the regalia of the Solei Palancis. Myetharia knew this man, and called him Diashan Shediell. He was still alive, still breathing. And although the fires of the forest tried to engulf him, some force was keeping the blaze at bay. Also within the chamber was a cracked case, less than a foot long, its contents missing. Leaving the chamber, the party headed back to the stonewood bridge and successfully broke into the tower. Once inside, the party found a journal written by one calling themselves Bhurisrava . In it, they recounted the forest falling to the magical flames, and their attempt to bring the survivors living in the forest to the mouth of the White River, upstream. There, Bhurisrava hoped they would find reprieve from the fires. He closed the entries by saying "May someone find what I have hidden." Through magical means, the party determined the name "Bhurisrava" meant "never defeated in battle," similar to the name Indomitability, but seemingly different. Bhurisrava also had set aside a small pouch filled with strange seed-like items. The bag was labeled "Dream Seeds" in goblin, and said that one will give someone visions of the "Firestarter", but two would poison them. Jack tried to eat one, but nothing happened. Then Winry tried. And she fell unconscious, her body rigid on the floor, eyes flickering behind closed lids as though in a violent dream. As the party considered what to do next, suddenly there appeared three large snakes with antlers on their heads, floating through the air. The party faced these newcomers, confused, but ready to defend their fallen friend.