Session 11: The Orb under Barter's Edge Report

General Summary

Though winded from the battle our heroes pushed on with greater resolve. Noticing once again the dusty footprints leading to one of the descending stairways, they decided to explore a bit further on their current level first. Keokan and Thor posted watch at the top of the stairs, while the others searched the adjacent hallways. Aaura sent Flit around the curving hallways on reconnaissance, while Faelyn, Aatavi, and Shadow explored other areas. They soon came upon the wreckage of a pair of stone discs crumbled in the entry to what looked to be destroyed personal quarters. Eyeing them warily from the outside, Faelyn noticed another unbroken stone disc down the hall. Although Shadow was unable to open the door with the nearby orb, she noticed that it was cracked open ever so slightly, and with a mighty grunt Aatavi peeled the stone seal away to reveal the room behind.   Beyond was another personal quarters but unlike the others, unspoiled. A thick layer of dust blanketed the floor and furniture. A tapestry depicting the city of Grand Zenith hung on the far wall and a weapon rack stood impressively in the corner. Most noticeable, however, were the skeletal remains of a Ymmari dragonborn pinned through the ribcage and to the bedframe by a large sword.   Though Shadow of Fire detected no undead presence in the room, the group moved warily about the quarters. Moving to the weapon rack, Aatavi brought forth a unique looking javelin. The shaft was bright steel and its ends were made of a deep purple crystal, sharpened into points. Light to the touch, and exquisitely weighted, the Mysati barbarian brought it to the rest of the group.   Shadow had been carefully inspecting the wardrobe where she discovered a stone chest with a collection of ancient Ymmari coinage and gems. When Aatavi brought the javelin to Aaura, she confirmed that it was magical.   Having explored the rest of the ruins, the party gathered once more at the two stairways that led to the darkness below. At the top of one, Thor had gently been nudging Keokan, curious to see what lay at the other end. At the top of the other stairway, the dusty footsteps from the sarcophagus descended into the darkness. Aaura sent Flit to the bottom and used her connection to see through the owl’s eyes.   The party watched as the owl swooped into the darkness and vanished from sight. Through Flit’s eyes, Aaura witnessed a dark cloaked figure standing below a hovering jet-black orb. Wisps of purple energy flickered around the orb, building to sharp flares of negative energy. Aaura watched as the flares gathered together, slowly forming into animated shadows like they had seen in the cellar above.   Relaying this information to her companions, the group prepared for a fight. As Keokan unsheathed his tabaxi wakizashi, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Aaura whispered a few arcane words and her hand loosed a pulse of energy, a handprint that tattooed the goliath's shoulder in blue light, even after she had taken it away.   “To protect you against the evil below.”   A wise decision, as the goliath would soon need all the help he could get.   When the party finally made it to the end of the stairway they all saw what Aaura had reported, and more. The cloaked figure was joined by two of the malevolent shades, as well as the transparent purple Ymmari specter that they had encountered in the cellar above.   Wasting no time, Keokan strode boldly into the room, engaging with the cloaked figure. As he approached the hovering orb, it flashed with a sudden, hateful energy. The goliath felt a chill grip his spine again, and strength waned from his arms. Nevertheless, he stood firm and began to swing at the cloaked figure. As his wakizashi slashed into his opponent, its hood was drawn back, revealing the mummified visage of a Ymmari dragonborn.   Chaos erupted over the next minute and the chamber broke into a cacophonous display of lightning strikes, eldritch fire, and slashing steel. Between intermittent flashes of the orb, our heroes threw everything they had at their undead assailants. Shadow of Fire concentrated holy energy at the orb itself, dampening its effect on Keokan. The shadows and specter soon fell to our heroes, and when Faelyn let loose a green corkscrew of arcane fire that set the mummy’s wraps ablaze, Aaura quickly followed up with a blast of flame herself. With one last sigh of anguish and anger the Ymmari mummy fell to the ground, a smoldering husk.   In the aftermath, Shadow of Fire and Aaura were able to bring the hovering orb to the ground by using radiant magic to quiet its necromantic pulses. With the major threat beneath the ruins gone, the group explored the rest of the passageways to ensure no evil was left unchecked. They discovered a handful of treasures in the mummy’s chamber and down the other stairway, a brilliant hollowed cavern of deep purple crystalline walls. In this room Aaura delicately recovered a page from a disintegrating spellbook that rested atop a lectern.   With the ruins clear, the heroes made their way back to the keep above. Finding the Serpents Six toiling away outside, they quickly filled them in on what they had found. Although grateful for their help, Garrig sheepishly asked the heroes if they might aid with the preparations at hand. Our heroes grudgingly agreed, and helped the Castellan and his crew set the keep’s defenses for the coming battle before laying down for a much needed rest.