The Flooded Passage

Encounter – Standard – 1250 EXP

1 Water-filling Chamber (8th level trap)
1 Cavern Choker
2 Deathjump Spiders
1 Visejaw Crocodile
1 Bog Toad

Finbar takes over trying to unlock the door while Taran and Ovid fend off the monsters. The Visejaw Crocodile doesn’t pose nearly as great a challenge as the earlier Feymire, but the group still barely exits the room with their lives.

They go back in the direction of the roots, hacking the rest of their way through and emerging outside. They climb back up rubble into the main part of the citadel.

Minor Quest: Get out of the sewers – FINISHED – 300 EXP

While Ovid and Taran take note of the writing on the inner wall, Finbar goes off to fish in the stream that snakes out from the underground.

Once reduced, I too can lead, bringing both color and light.

My core is but a compromiser, I have grown into a master diplomat.

Finbar soon attracts a horde of pests, however, summoning Taran and Ovid from their puzzling.

Battle on the Bridge

Encounter – Standard – 1000 EXP

5 Stirges
1 Dire Stirge
1 Deathrattle Viper

Finbar, the viper, and the stirges hit critical mass on the crumbling bridge and fall down below, killing one stirge. While Finbar takes on the viper that fell with him, Ovid and Taran take on the remaining stirges. Ovid is unusually sticky, with at least two stirges on him at all times. Eventually, though, all the creatures are dispatched.

The group continues its circuit of the citadel with no event, making note of the next clues.

Four creative spirits have I, who mark key points in time.

Highest in rank, I am the essence of leadership.

Neither good nor bad, order nor chaos, balance is my strength

With a poet’s heart, I sit adjacent to the creation of new light.

Pillars of strength, my time and number began the sphinx’s end.

Then, they return to the statue (who Finbar names George) to ask a few more questions. George gives them an orb to fit into the wall in a specific place. Each of the notes had a slot, but the trio thinks they can figure out the puzzle.

Each of the phrases, they soon discover, refers to a number. They can identify the numbers one through four, and six through twelve. Five is missing. There is, however, a notch in the wall. The orb inserted, the inner gate of the citadel opens.

Major Quest: Unlock the secrets of the citadel – FINISHED – 1200 EXP

The trio rests in the inner citadel, a lush terraced garden with a wide spiral stone staircase leading down. A great tree rises up through the center, but its branches are withered and its leaves dark. Thinking they might hide the Mask of Kas under the roots of the great tree, they descend the staircase to investigate.

The Rotting Tree
Encounter – Hard – 2500 EXP

1 Horrid Timber

The tree is animate and lashes out at them as soon as they near its roots. Trying to get close to the tree is difficult as it tries to trip whoever moves towards it. Ovid hangs back to provide healing and sniping fire at first while the tree wails on the other two. Soon, though, even Ovid closes in as Taran and Finbar pin the tree’s branches, one sneaking opportunity attacks whenever it targets the other. The tree soon falls still, the eldritch magic possessing it dissipating.

The roots do provide adequate hiding places, so they make their way up and out of the main citadel.

The front gate remains sealed shut, though. George directs them to the stairs on either side of the interior courtyard that take them up on top of the citadel walls. Before they can climb down, winged beasts appear on the horizon.

On the Ramparts

Encounter – Standard – 1100 EXP

2 Wyverns
1 Venom-Eye Basilisk

Finbar brought all three close in, and then, with Taran and Ovid’s help, proceeded to clear the enemy ranks quickly and efficiently.

They made their way out of the citadel and back to their teleportation spot, returning to the normal plane.

Encounter – Easy Difficulty – 350 EXP

3 Fire Beetle
1 Blood Scarab

As Culna and Kravnar rush up to deal with the Fire beetles, a hitherto unsuspected Blood Scarab erupts from the ground near Farsiris and Vasanti, using powerful jaws to do significant damage.  Arak quickly disengages the fire beetles to help, but the scarab is able to evade him and  pursue the retreating pair, getting a few more attacks in before succumbing to Arak.  Kravnar and Culna are able to deal fairly handily with the fire beetles, and the party is able to explore the rest of the cave section without further surprises.  While exploring they realize that sections of the cave complex have broken ceilings, and realize that several of the rooms they had previously explored impinge on this area.  This accounts for the current deserted state of the caverns, and the party is lucky enough to find the dehydrated husk of a previous adventurer, still in possession of a purse containing 70 gold, and a Wounding Kopesh.  Having explored the entirety of the map, the party made camp and slept for a while.

When they woke up, they finished looking around, and having decided that they had explored almost the entire dungeon, went upstairs to finish the last location that they had not yet passed through.  Behind the hidden door in the mural room, they followed a winding staircase up quite a distance to a large circular room, brightly lit by daylight shining through a clear crystal roof.  Inscribed around the perimeter of the room was, in draconic, the phrase “Seven Jeweled Cities”.  Having been tipped off by Vasanti that a spell was in effect, they all scattered the jewels that they had found at the hidden door on the floor.  They all quickly slid to spots around the edge of the room, except for the pearl, which flew to the center of the room and hovered over the empty shaft of the stairway.  Clued in by a north arrow in the floor, and Kravnar’s recollection of pertinent historical information, the party realized that it was an abstract map of the main cities of Arkhosia, detailing the directions of each from the central capital, Io’Vanthor.  Therefore, in order for Kravnar to continue his investigations of the lost empire, they would have to find a way into one of these cities.  -Minor Quest:  100 EXP-

Level up:  Level 2

Armed with their new information, the party set out from the dungeon, planning to regroup back in town and try to find further information about the empire.  Just as they were leaving the temple, however, they were surprised by a young brown dragon who erupted from beneath the sand and set upon them, apparently out of resentment at the adventurer’s mere presence.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 750 EXP

1 Young Brown Dragon

The dragon, taking them by surprise and acting decisively, envelops almost the entire party in a whirling breath of sand.  They react ably, however, and spread out to engage the dragon in a safer location.  As the dragon fights, it seems to become a little distracted by its ongoing monologue, detailing its recent past.  By listening to the dragon’s occasional grumbling, interspersed with musings on flavor and quality as the dragon bites into several party members, they gather that the dragon had been planing on lairing in the old temple, possibly subjugating the kobolds there.  It was seriously discommoded when it realized that an adventuring party had already gone through the area, learning its secrets and killing its inhabitants.  It also complains about its old lair, mentioning encroaching dwarves, and concern for its treasure’s safety.  As the dragon sinks deeper into its musings, the party continues to fight determinedly, and manages to bloody the beast, bringing its attention back dramatically as it unleashes another blast of sand upon the attackers.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 600 EXP

2 Animated Statues
1 Magic Crossbow Turret

Culna and Kravnar each face a different statue, trading blows while the crossbow bolts bounce off their armor.  Farsiris and Vasanti throw blasts at the crossbows for a while, but then Vasanti notices a control panel hidden in the wall nearby.  She turns to it, while Farsiris switches the focus of her blasts to Culna’s statue.  Arak assists Kravnar with the other, but both he and Kravnar are knocked down periodically by the statue’s fists.  Eventually, Arak disengages the statue enough to pull back and start firing arrows.  He concentrates his fire and is able to reduce it to gravel with a few well placed shots.  Vasanti has meanwhile succeeded in opening the control panel and has disarmed the crossbow turrets, which recede back into the ceiling.  Everyone is then able to work on Culna’s statue, and Arak again supplies the finishing blow with an arrow.

Moving briskly onward, the party heaves the portcullis out of the way and descends a curving staircase.  at the bottom they are greeted by a huge vaulted room, with a heap of treasure gleaming in the center, framed by a golden shaft of light which issues from the ceiling.  As they gaze at the treasure, a shadowy form materializes in front of them.  It is the figure of an aged dragonborn, clad in ornate armor and carrying a ragged standard.  It warns them against tresspassing, but the party is not intimidated and the specter calls up a small troupe of drakes for assistance.

Encounter – Hard Difficulty – 750 EXP

1 Guard Drake
3 Grave Drakes
1 Dragonborn Specter

Incensed by the adventurers’ confidence, the dragonborn issues a blast of ichorous fire, knocking down a few of them.  Farsiris responds confidently by moving to the center of the room and using rebuke undead to devastate the occupants.  As the melee combatants focus on the specter, the four drakes, dazed by Farsiris’ attack, rush up to her, but only one is coherent enough to attack, biting and holding on strongly.  Vasanti supports Farsiris from a distance, and as the dragonborn mysteriously vanishes for a while, the rest of the party migrates over to the drakes, and Farsiris teleports out of harm’s way.  At that point Kravnar, Arak, and Culna are able to take down a few of the drakes, disconcerted by their relentless deathgrips.  The dragonborn reappears in the thick of the fray, and despite dealing heavy damage, the undead are worn down and eventually defeated.  As the party recovers its composure, they turn to the gleaming heap of treasure gathered in the center of the room.  Amongst numerous and variedvaluables, they find a rack where a set of magical robes are hung, and a staff leans to one side.  Momentarily satisfied, the party ponders their next step.

Once there the three join Farsiris and Vasanti, and the three of them open a door out of the octagonal room.  They are slightly taken aback by the blank wall confronting them, but their keen perception quickly reveals it as an illusion.  Culna sticks his head through to be sure, and confirms that the room is occupied; by a large number of kobold minions and two slingers.  Vasanti leads the assault by laying down a scorching burst in the thick of the minions.  The party aggressively attacks the room, and is able to clear it out quite quickly, except for a single survivor, who they interrogate briefly, and from him obtain a talisman that will grant them access to the door at the upper end of the hallway.  The also learn the plight of the local kobold tribe, whose demesne has been invaded by an aboleth tunnel system, populated by numerous unpleasant beasts.  Followed by the kobold’s entreaties not to harm the priest that is in the last room, they proceed into a large chamber with a collapsed section of floor.  Hanging over the pit is a sacred circle of Tiamat, with a kobold wyrmpriest standing on it firing bolts into the blackness below.  A kobold dragonshield and two minions spectate. Kravnar enters first, and talks briefly with the wyrmpriest.  He offers to help the wyrmpriest fight the beasts that are invading, but when he tries to enflame a centipede swarm and fails, a combination of bad diplomacy and poor performance start an altercation that devolves into combat.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 575 EXP

1 Centipede Swarm
1 Kobold Dragonshield
1 Kobold Wyrmpriest
2 Kobold Minion
1 Iron Maiden-in-chains

The dragonshield immediately moves in on Kravnar, and as well as dealing some damage he attracts the attention of Arak and Culna.  Shifting constantly to both protect the wyrmpriest and manage the three adventurers, he puts up a strong resistance as the centipede swarm climbs up from the pit and also attacks Kravnar.  Farsiris and Vasanti hang back and use their area attacks carefully to avoid their allies, but in the intense combat Kravnar goes down to a blast of icy breath from the wyrmpriest.  As Culna tends to Kravnar, Farsiris kills both the dragonshield and the wyrmpriest with a well-executed area attack.  The fighting then concentrates on the centipede, and following that, the minions, who had been providing paltry defense throughout.  Finally the room is cleared and everyone is able to take a break.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 525 EXP

2 Kobold Pikers
1 Kobold Wyrmpriest
2 Ice Warrior Shardlings
4 Kobold Minions

The party reacts quickly and is able to kill all but one Minion before they have a chance to react.  The last makes a wild stab at Kravnar and runs out the door.  Upon following, the party enters a large room with a large semicircular dais at one end a pool of water at the other.  On the dais is a Kobold Wyrmpriest stands praying in a Divine Circle of Bahamut, guarded by two Kobold Pikers.  The remaining minion cowers behind the Wyrmpriest.  In the pool, a pair of Ice Warrior Shardlings skims across the surface, surrounded by a cloud of fog.  Arak, Culna, and Kravnar approach the Pikers and are rebuffed, but they return to the attack.  Farsiris hangs back with Vasanti, and take attacks from the Ice Warriors near the door, causing Vasanti to move into the room and attack the group on the podium while Farsiris falls back into the sand room and summons an Angel of Fire to dispatch the Ice Warriors.  At this poin the Wyrmpriest spots an opportunity and unleashes an icy blast on Arak, Culna, and Kravnar, who have been continuing to face off with the Pikers, grinding them down slowly.  At this point Arak breaks off and fires a speedy volley of arrows on the Wyrmpriest, doing massive damage.  At this point the Wyrmpriest gives up and runs for a back door, which locks securely.  After dispatching the remaining Kobolds, the party gathers around the door and manages to make an appeal to Bahamut to open the door, and they bargain with the Wyrmpriest to exhange his life for information and the treasures that he has in the room with him.  After doing this, the party takes an extended rest in the back room, and sets off again.

Once they have determined that the close-by sequence of rooms is clear, they come upon a trapdoor set at the end of a small hallway.  By listening, they hear snippets of conversation in Draconic; kobolds muttering to each other about certain “beasts” and “an undead”.  Kravnar optimistically shouts down the shaft, offering the kobolds assistance, but through a combination of misunderstandings and poor communication, the party ends up retreating before further confusion arises and a fight starts.  Instead they find a staircase and take that down, ending up in a pitch-dark hallway.  The first door they try is enchanted with a strong protective spell, and rather than spend time on it the party decides to go further.  They are arrested by whispered draconic, as unseen kobolds discuss the party.  Understandably worried by the closing remark “Who cares, set the front one on fire”, Arak heads down the corridor searching for the voices, but is surprised by three firepots emanating from arrow slits in the corridor wall.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 500 EXP

3 Kobold Slingers
1 Stirge
1 Pit Trap

Disconcerted by the unexpected attack, the party bogs down as Arak, Culna, and Kravnar try to reach the Kobolds on the other side of the arrow slits, with moderate success.  Farsiris and Vasanti choose to hurry down the hall, and open a set of double doors leading to an octagonal room, split by a hugely cracked floor, in which an Ankheg Broodling and a Stormclaw Scorpion wait.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 550 EXP

4 Ankheg Broodlings
2 Kobold Slingers
6 Kobold Minion
1 Stormclaw Scorpion

The scorpion approches and grabs Farsiris, but she instantly breaks the grab and uses her god’s power to push the scorpion into the chasm.  Vasanti meanwhile dispatches the first Ankheg, as the rest of the party makes headway against the kobolds.  They are surprised when the scorpion returns with three more Ankhegs, but with a few well used blasts Farsiris is able to finish off the room.  Vasanti is about to turn back to the kobolds when she notices a secret door in the side of the corridor.  Opening it, she discovers the parallel hall where the kobolds have been shooting, and begins to approach, but as their sanctum is invaded the two remaining Kobolds retreat yet again.

The town of Adana sees a lot of travelers, with traders setting off in all directions from this last settled outpost on the Nentir River.  Some return, with strange and valuable artifacts from bygone times to sell upriver, and many more are lost in the desert or die unremembered in the dry deserted streets of the upper town.  One traveler, however, seems driven by a specific goal, and his enquiries quickly draw the attention of some other adventurers.  The dragonborn warlord Kravnar is investigating his heritage in the lost empire of Arkhosia, and readily hires the half-orc Arak as his bodyguard.  Vasanti, an eladrin wizard, and Culna the human Paladin, accompany him out of curiosity or opportunism, while the shadar-kai Farsiris Egeria joins up mostly for a chance at renoun in the name of the Raven Queen.

Based on a lead Kravnar picked up in Fallcrest, the party sets out on a small riverboat which takes them up a small tributary of the Nentir River, and from there on foot to the head of a steep box canyon.  An imposing edifice has been erected in the side of a cliff, with a large dorrframe at the base which is flanked by large, heavily carved columns.  These in turn support a massive lintel which juts out from the cliff face.  Although weathered, the remains of imposing pediments create a complex pattern of shadows and light.  As the party approaches, wings flash and a pair of Spiretop Drakes wheel down from their nest.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 500 EXP

1 Fire Beetle
2 Kobold Slingers
2 Spiretop Drakes

The Spiretop Drakes at first pose little threat, preferring raking attacks and stealing a few trifling items.  The commotion, however, attracts a Fire Beetle who grabs the attention of most of the party, keeping them occupied while a pair of Kobold Slingers snipe from the open doorway of the building.  As soon as the fire beetle is defeated, going down in a burst of flame, the party rushes the doors and quickly dispatches the pair of snipers.

After dispatching the gate guards, the party proceeds eagerly inside, only to be confronted with a long hall, with twin stairs at the far end connecting to galleries running along either side, about halfway up the walls.  Lining the gallery is a large collection of Kobolds, who quickly begin firing on the intruders.

Encounter – Standard Difficulty – 650 EXP

2 Kobold Slingers
1 Forest of Stone Trap
4 Kobold Minions
2 Kobold Hurlers

Despite their vulnerable position, the party responds well, with Farsiris, Vasanti, and Arak providing strong return fire that dispatches several of the Minions and a few Slingers as well.  Culna and Kravnar sprint for the stairs, and upon reaching the ledge, Culna pushes a Hurler off the ledge, and it lands near Kravnar.  Before he can hit it, it steps backwards onto a pressure plate, and a stone column erupts from the floor.  He uses it to flip back onto the balcony, away from the two melee characters.  His success is short lived, however, as the remaining kobolds are either shot down or charged, and all are exterminated save one, who puts up a brief resistance in a hallway further into the building.

As the party passes into the interior of the building, they reach a frieze depicting panels of six towers flanking a central panel with a silver dragon holding a pearl in its mouth.  Above the dragon is an inscription in Iokharic which reads “One Nation”.  With the arcane and religious expertise of Farsiris and Vasanti, as well as Kravnar’s historical recollections, the party is able to uncover the reference to Arkhosia, and with a suitable verbal acknowledgement, the dragon drops the pearl and six other gems, and its panel slides into the wall, revealing a spiral staircase leading up.

Minor Quest started:  Decipher the meaning of the jewels

Rather than make any immediate decisions, the party checks the three doors they can see.  One leads into a room with a portcullis on one wall flanked by two statues, which the party is wary of.  The other leads to a short hallway, and the party eventually decides to open one of the three additional doors they encounter there.

The next day, they reach the citadel an hour or so before noon without incident. The front gate is open, and upon entering, they see two statues standing by the locked gate before them. The statues come to life when Finbar approaches, leading to a brief but brutal battle, with everybody on both sides landing solid blows.

The Front Gate

Encounter – Easy – 1000 EXP

2 Leaping Statues

When the first falls, the second statue begins to look uncertain. Beaten half into submission, he surrenders at Ovid’s attempt to talk to him, opening the gates and saying that if they ask the right question, he might be able to help them.

They move on into the next small chamber, where on the wall it is written:

“Marked by duty, responsibility can open or close doors.”

Finbar nearly hurts himself trying to bust down the two doors that are locked. One opens onto a terraced garden and is locked tightly with both mechanism and magic. The other begins to ease open after the second kick, but their endeavor is briefly halted by the appearance of more foes in the open door opposite.

Major Quest: Unlock the secrets of the citadel – STARTED

The Entryway

Encounter – Easy – 1100 EXP

1 Tangler Beetle
2 Stirges
1 Dire Stirge
1 Flame Snake

The tangler beetle immobilizes Finbar for a turn, but it soon falters as Finbar and Taran hit again and again, with Ovid’s crossbow bolts lodging in its carapace. Drawn by the commotion of the wall crumbling as the beetle pushes through it is a flame snake, which attacks Ovid as it enters. Following it are two stirges and a dire stirge. The stirge, on a suicidal rush in, is killed by a series of opportunity strikes as it passes through the group.

The battle slows for a time as the dire stirge grabs warrior after warrior, but soon, all are felled. Finbar finally breaks open the door and they move into the western passage.

In the first section of the hall, which was once a long series of rooms, they find more writing:

“Though I watch partings day to day, I feel peace, not pity.”

In the next room they find an unlocked chest filled with gold and a remarkable tapestry worth a great deal. They load up Finbar to carry it.

They also find another sentence:

“Risks in the abstract do not move me, who is the most grounded of all.”

When Finbar goes to grab the keys that hang on the wall and Taran goes towards what looks to be more writing, the floor caves in under their weight, sending them crashing into an underground stream. Ovid follows more carefully down a rope.

But when they pull themselves together, they see a huge crocodile waiting to devour them whole.

The Lurking Beast

Encounter – Easy – 1000 EXP

1 Feymire Crocodile

The crocodile bites Finbar, grabbing him and beginning to crush the life out of him. Ovid hangs back for a time until it becomes clear his crossbow bolts can barely pierce its thick hide. With the three clustered around the crocodile, the beast moves from one person to another as its jaws are escaped. Finally, it manages to swallow Taran.

Finbar stabs his spear deeply into the beast’s belly, cutting Taran but dealing massive damage to the crocodile. Taran escapes when the crocodile attacks Finbar, teleporting out. Ovid raises Taran’s spirits so that Taran, who emerged close to death, revives to near full life. A few more blows and the crocodile falls.

Minor Quest: Get out of the sewers – STARTED

Finbar makes it back up to the floor above, while Ovid and Taran look for another way out that doesn’t involve trying crumbling foors once more. Ovid, encountering overgrown roots that seem to block an exit, hacks them down.

The Cleanup Crew

Encounter – Standard – 1200 EXP

2 Azure Jellies

But floating down the waterway, towards the crocodile’s carcass, come two blue, oozing shapes. The temptation of still-living flesh, however, pulls them to Taran and they begin the attack. It’s a fairly short battle and Finbar drops down to join it. While the jellies can nearly freeze the trio, Ovid’s cold resistance and the others’ quick reflexes keep them from falling prey to the jellies. Soon, they ooze out into near-nothingness on the floor.

Upon reaching the nearest city, the trio hurries to the Wizard’s Guild. This guild is far stronger than that of any surrounding towns and the wizards there agree to watch of the Mask until the group can find a safe place to stow it. It is immersed in disenchantment dust, but the head of the guild asks a favor of the group in return.

Major Quest: Hide the Mask of Kas – STARTED

It seems that a former member of the guild (now sadly deceased) made a bit of a mess. He opened a portal to the Feywild in his garden, perhaps to bring in more exotic plant life. However, he got more than he bargained for and the guild wants the three to go down, exterminate whatever has emerged from the portal, and knit it back up with the help of a planar mage who will step in once the dirty work is complete.

Minor Quest: Rid the garden of Feywild beasts – STARTED

A Jungle of a Garden

Encounter – Hard – 1375 EXP

2 Displacer Beasts
1 Hooked Claw Harpy
1 Fey Panther

They are let through the gate by the guards the guild had hired and are confronted with two massive displacer beasts. Ovid and Taran are able to make it into the dead man’s house and take aim through the windows, the displacer beasts unable to follow. The fey panther does, however, and Taran knocks it unconscious, wondering it if might prove a useful ally if well trained.

Finbar, meanwhile, is left to deal with the great beasts, which mob him, striking at him again and again with claws and tentacles. Finally, with Taran’s help, the displacer beasts go down, one after the other, and the harpy is the only threat remaining. She too falls.

The rift is sealed up and they head back to the guild. Taran, inspired by this reminder of his home, recalls an abandoned citadel that they could make use of in the Feywild. The wizards agree to send them there, with the requirement that they return within the month.

Minor Quest: Rid the garden of Feywild beasts – FINISHED – 300 EXP

Upon arrival, Taran marks the everchanging environment with an enchanted dagger, his abilities making it essentially a homing beacon. They advance into the jungles all around them.

Death from Above

Encounter – Hard – 1400 EXP

1 Feyborn Constrictor
2 Feyborn Ant Swarms

As they walk through the dense jungle, a large constrictor drops from one of the trees and ensnares Finbar in its coils, beginning to crush the goliath to death. Ovid and Taran rush to help only to be swarmed by feyborn ants. Ovid continues to focus on the constrictor, letting crossbow bolts loose and providing support for the failing Finbar, while Taran takes out the ants with blasts of fire emanating from his blade.

Finbar is knocked unconscious and the constrictor makes back for its tree, but Ovid follows, reviving the fallen man and then attempting to get out of the way. The constrictor, angry at its meal being taken away, tries to take hold of Ovid, but soon regains its focus on Finbar. However, with the ants dead, the constrictor begins to take attacks from all sides and soon dies.

Finbar decides to take some of the constrictor’s undeniably beautiful hide to adorn himself with, and the group manages to find a nearby abandoned shelter that they can make camp in for the night.

On exiting the cave, though, the three warriors are confronted with the shambling, frightening mass of a husk spider, coming from the lands about the cave, heading directly for them.

The First Fight

Encounter – Hard – 1500 EXP

1 Husk Spider, modified

The group is at first pinned in the cave entrance by a shot of sticky, rotting spider silk. Taran quickly moves out of the cave with his fey step, and he and Finbar take up the main assault. Ovid hangs back, shooting with his crossbow and offering healing support as the spider attacks both Taran and Finbar with wild abandon. Finally, when the spider begins to sag, Ovid turns his furious, tattooed face on the beast, threatening it just enough to send the spider into a sort of retreat. However, as it stops its attack, it crumples to the ground, truly dead.

The group continues along, wary now, until they reach a path. The forest is quiet around them, though, and soon they here scuttling, skittering sounds. Emerging from the pushes are the reanimated forms of small creatures, badgers and marmots, all rotted and glassy-eyed.

The Growing Threat

Encounter – Easy – EXP 450

3 Vile Pets

This battle takes longer than expected, with the reanimated roadkill turning out to be faster than expected. nevertheless the creatures fall without doing too much damage. Still, the forest almost seems to whisper, to creep towards Ovid, who holds the mask.

The trio, weak from their long string of fights with no room to rest, rely on Finbar to find them a home for the night. And find one he does, albeit an already occupied one.

The Owlbear’s Den

Encounter – Easy – 700 EXP

1 Owlbear

The owlbear, on seeing the approaching group, doesn’t just defend its home; it actively tries to kill them. The group is immediately pitched into a heated battle, where Finbar is repeatedly grabbed and mauled by the owlbear and Ovid attempts to supply support from afar, lest he have to use all of his restorative skills on himself rather than Finbar or Taran. Taran teleports into the den behind the owlbear, flanking and doing massive damage. The beast, finally felled, is dismembered in case it reanimates undead, and the three finally sleep.

The next morning, they hurry towards where the road lies. But as they enter into a valley, dark shadows sweep across them and they look back to see, cresting the ridge, a giant skeletal bat and two accipitridae attendants.

The Final Push

Encounter – Standard – 900 EXP

1 Giant Skeletal Bat
2 Accipitridae

The group runs into the cover of the trees, but not without Taran and Finbar being temporarily blinded. Ovid’s ability to shift allies into position proves critical to taking out the accipitridae, moving Taran and Finbar into flanks strong enough to overcome their blindness. The bat, meanwhile, is taken out by Finbar and Taran, with regained sight, hitting it with all their might.

The Way Out

Social Encounter – Avoidance of Battle – 1050 EXP

Finally free of their latest batch of pursuers, the group makes it to the road, where a merchant happens to be passing by in his cart. They receive safe passage to the next city over and managed to procure Dust of Disenchantment from the man by telling him of the dangers that will continue to chase them. Using the dust to muffle the Mask’s reanimating call, they narrowly avoid another encounter, instead making it safely back to town.

Major Quest: Bring back the Mask of Kas – FINISHED – 1050 EXP

Upon arriving in town, Taran makes a quick pit stop at a wand maker’s while the other two stock up on supplies and long-range weapons for the group.

Major Quest: Replace Vasanti’s Wand – FINISHED – 1050 EXP

Pushing deeper into the caves, the group finds the remains of an explorer. After paying their respects, they take his healing potions and move on.

In the room that opens up before them, the group spots slots in the floor and ceiling that hint of swinging pendulums easily triggered. Inside the room are a mixture of zombies and skeletons wandering between plots of strange mushrooms, with a wraith hovering in the center and two coiled iron cobras at the far back. The feeling of unease grows stronger.

The Fall of Alain

Encounter – Hard – 3,350 EXP

2 Frightful Wraiths
3 Zombie Rotters (Level 5)
2 Iron Cobras
2 Pendulum Scythes
4 Doomspore

The group attempts first to find out how to not trigger the pendulum scythes, but are unable to come to a conclusion before the wraith moves close enough to trigger them. The wraith quickly hones in on Alain, who fights valiantly even while Ovid falls dazed repeatedly at the wraith’s attacks. Alain manages to set one of the mushroom patches alight, neutralizing its deadly spores, before he falls dead. Before Ovid’s eyes, he rises back up in wraithlike form.

Meanwhile, Taran and Finbar have escaped to a safe-ground in the middle of the room, taking out zombies along the way. They fight off one of the iron cobras while keeping an eye on Ovid, who, though struggling to damage the wraiths, takes little damage.

Eventually, the wraiths both move towards the center of the room, frustrated at Ovid’s immunity. They both fall unhappily in the line of scythes, taking them down to a level where dispatching them is easy. Ovid finally joins the group and assists with taking out the remaining homunculi. They move forward into a room with only an empty stone sarcophogus.

The sarcophogus has, in common, a riddle inscribed upon it:

I am deaf and dumb, but always speak the truth.

Alain comes to mind, and with him, his unlocked memories, and, after a few moment’s thought, the answer becomes clear: a mirror.

A mirror is, indeed, on the top of the sarcophogus and as it is cleaned off, it reflects the ceiling above it. In that ceiling is a silver mask. Finbar manages to pry it free and the group heads out of the caves, already trying to think of somewhere safer to stash it.

Major Quest: Find the Mask of Kas – FINISHED – 1050 EXP

Major Quest: Bring back the Mask of Kas – STARTED