Episode 56: Through Water and Stone

General Summary

Following the Sheriff, the party came to the Temple of Rest on the island where Kam left his guards to travel the Temple alone and told the party if they were to follow that they could make their peace. Looking around the area, Vasya was able to gather medicinal herbs that could be used to craft healing potions while Tetran looked upon the face carved into the mountain where the water fell around it-- seemingly in a trance. It was only after Reylan shook him that he came to and the effects of the temple's power were explained by the guards who took care not to look up at the mountain face. Eventually Reylan decided to follow Kam and the party followed in suit, interested to see what the temple was like here with some indifferent but wanting to follow.
As they climbed the steps to the place they found shrines along a stone path with small shrines filled with offerings as well as carved pigeonholes for what looked to be totems or symbols. As the group walked forward, Tetran spotted a barrel of sigils and searched through finding what looked to be a token of a black and gold dragon-- and as he held it, the burnished gold shone bright and in an enchanted manner it wove around his hands and fingers before resting in his palm only to repeat the animation a few moments later. Reylan was able to find tokens to the three of her goddess and placed offerings finding a shrine for them along the path. Even Valentine, sought assistance in his offering and placed a stolen pouch along with fifty gold of value on the shrine praying to Herrus for a blessing for the troubles ahead. Meanwhile, Vasya, after finding an a symbol of Korbal and placing it on a shrine, seemed to befriend monkeys who were around the temple and learned how they were kept in ship crates before coming here and eventually finding haven at this very temple-- and spent the rest of her time bargaining for shiny objects with food though quickly regretted.
Eventually, when Kam returned with what seemed to be a long box in hand, he was seen talking with a mysterious man hooded and cloaked with a broken chain around his shoulder almost as if it were worn. While no one was able to discern the conversation, on the way out, Kam noted to Gideon to return to the temple after as there were people that wish to speak with him. While Gideon was confused, Reylan messaged the figure only to learn that he wasn't going to give any information up and that he knew the identities of each and every one of them even down to the creature companions.
Unnerved but focused on the task at hand, the party led Kam and the Astraeus soldiers back to the dead woods and showed them the trapped site, eventually discovering a large hole in the ground deeper in the woods. While separated from the soldiers as they journeyed ahead, the party tried to sneak through the webbed area only to come across x and x and more spiders. Luckily, they were able to carve through their enemies rather quickly and scanned through the hallways for any clues as to what might be around. Gideon and Reylan managed to find a journal on one of the victims and discovered that this had been planned for months by what was mostly an unsuspecting crew that had stopped off in the port of Faith in western Barisea and had taken on new cargo to smuggle it on the north side of Astraeus Falls.
After Nyx scouted ahead down one path, he reported the sound of rushing water leading the crew to head in that direction with Nyx then going to the other. He reports that there were a lot of enemies down the hall but he was able to sneak out and spots something or someone in the distance before blinking out and back to Reylan. As the party move forward, an alarmed Kam spots a cracked hole revealing that they are directly underneath the town in catacomb-like underground and that whoever was here had dug their way in.
As the party split up to investigate, Reylan, Valentine, and Kam discovered a makeshift dock and encountered a phase spider while the others discovered creepy graffiti and a nest of eggs only to set fire to them incurring the ire of other adult phase spiders.

by Mara Jaena

While both parties dealt with their respective threats, they attempted to make their way back to each other to relay information. When Valentine and Reylan discovered what looked to be the basement of a house, they debated in front of the sheriff whether it would be better to steal from this place, and while the sheriff debated morals with Valentine, Reylan found a tome with the sigil of the cult on the side and decided to take the scrolls and books noticing that there was ash from a scroll that had been used.
After the parties reunited, they ventured forward even discovering a chest with a destroyed egg within a vase that depicted images of two women and the six-eyed cult sigil. As Tetran kept hold of it and followed the others, Valentine triggered a spider's trap but was quickly saved by the quick actions of Gideon. Confronted with another split path, the group decided to take a short break trying to determine how best to move forward.

Report Date

16 Jan 2021

Feats & Features

Valentine	Slayer's Prey (2)
Vasya	Luck

Signature Spells

Vasya

Hunter's Mark

Items Recovered

Recovered from a basement that Reylan, Valentine, and Sheriff Kam discovered while roaming the underground.

by Artbreeder (Jossmoo)	Scroll of Revivify Scroll of Armor of Agathis Scroll of Jim's Magic Missile Guide to Alchemy Guide to Magic Untitled Sigil Tome
	Scroll of Disguise Self Scroll of Snare

Recovered from chest in second phase nest room.

Vase depicting cult associated imagery

Notes

⦿ The Temple of Rest is the first temple of note that has a symbol of Korbal even having a token for the black and gold dragon that Tetran aligns with.

⦿ The Temple of Rest is also the first the group has encountered that is not dedicated to one diety and encourages the worship and prayer to whichever one desires even having private worship rooms for a tribute to be given without interruption or destruction of an offering.

⦿ As it has been the same day as Episode 55 and the party used most of their spells earlier, many of the party either just ran out of spells or are relying only on cantrips and ritual magic.

⦿ A golden monkey makes an appearance that steals from Valentine before it just blinks away leaving the others confused and Valentine nearly in the jaws of temple guardian dogs as he drew his weapon to shoot it.

⦿ Kam is later seen dual wielding swords with the one he had picked up from the Temple of Rest bonding with him physically and he displays warlock prowess.

⦿ Nyx discovered that the route the party had forgone led to an exit and what looked to be a tower- presumably the north tower of the island- but there were many spiders he had to stealth away from. He spotted something/someone in the distance but was unable to make it out as he was bamfed back to Reylan.

Session Stats