The Return: Session #9

General Summary

The heroes returned to Emirikol's lobby area after battling the elephant primal spirit. They rested before they slotted the masks into the final door. As the door slowly opened and listening to Emirikol's rambling, the ceiling of the lobby collapsed as the roots of the corrupted treant attacked the party. Thick tentacle like roots flowed into the room from above whipping around. The heroes were quickly outnumbered, but fought back valiantly. Tiny Tim used fire magic to destroy wide swaths of the roots while the other heroes cut through the roots. Frighteningly, the roots were healing and others continued to break through the ceiling.
Emirikol's amusement at the battle was cut short when the roots constricting his armored statue tightened so much, they broken his statue to bits.
The roots pulled together and formed a large cat like shape...with the end of the roots coiling together from the trail up to the ceiling. The heroes wondered if the cheetah primal spirit had escaped or been absorbed by the treant. The plant/cheetah creature moved at quick speed and began to slice in to the heroes.
At one point, it grabbed Tiny Tim and used all four claws to begin to disembowel the wizard. Burtak's quick action saved Tiny Tim's life while Kurdan's brutal axe was able to free the wizard's body from the plants grasp. Coordinating their attacks, they burned and slashed what remained of the plant/cheetah creature until all was silent once more.
Entering the final room, they found a wizard laboratory and the final resting place for Emirikol's apprentice and builder of this dungeon, Bauer. Half of his body had long fell to dust while the other half, a fresh-looking corpse was inside a magic circle bounding a floating green crystal of incredible power.
Horrifyingly, a giant tick was stuck in Bauer's arm--- constantly laying eggs... the source of the tick problem of Barrowmista. The heroes wasted no time burning the tick and the eggs.
Studying the gem and the circle, they realize that Emirikol's gem was the source of the fast-growing giant trees that are the center of Barrowmista's industries. They debated taking the gem while looting the rest of the room. In the end, the left the gem.
Returning to Barrowmista, they visited Vulnademus to identify their treasures. The most remarkable item they found was magical lute that could, once per week when played by a skilled performer, construct buildings with available materials.
They asked their friend Ameiko to play the lute, and they built a walled in tower on their island--- along with underground levels, draw bridge, and a pool that could be heated from below.
Grubbyfugs took this time announce her farewell for now. She had been growing closer with Thalina, and they had decided to travel together for the time being. Showing some signs of the bat primal spirit residing inside her, they promised to come and help if called upon.
As they settled into their new home, Kurdan shared that he had been receiving vision-like dreams where he speaks to women that appear as human, though he has his doubts on that count. They are the source of the mystical axe that appears when he rages, and had warned him that there were two great powers loose in the world. One of them were the force behind Nualia and may be found in the capital of Kaduna: Harcourt. They heroes began to make plans to go to Harcourt and try to track down their enemy, but other developments kept them busy before they could leave.
Kurdan found their new home broken into and his girdle of bones stolen. A taunting note was left behind. An investigation suggested that the thief climbed up the dangerous cliffs of their island from the river. Kurdan wrote an angry response and did find that note missing when he awoke the next morning.
It was not long before they heroes had visitors to their new home:
1) Das Korbut, the blacksmith they had freed from the haunting of their son, arrived with gifts he had created for the heroes.
2) Theo of the Stevadors arrived after hearing tales of their magical lute. He offered to purchase it from the heroes for his guild. His offer was quickly rebuked, but the heroes offered their services of the lute could be hired by the Stevadors. Theo said he would bring their offer to his guild.
3) A nervous fisherman, Altwidus Boesh, came calling on Bartuk. The fishing vessel he worked under a Captain Fenne, had found a recently shipwrecked dwarven vessel made of rock. They had found no survivors, and they had taken everything they could to sell in Harcourt. Altwidus feared the greed of Fenne and begged to be let off in Barrowmista. He stole a metal cased book from the loot, and he brought it to sell to Bartuk. Bartuk generously purchased the book, and Tiny Tim generously helped the poor man get some new clothing.
The heroes visited the Barrowmista Theater and met with Cyrdak Drokkus. They were hoping to find an experienced lute player they would work for them. Cyrdak offered to put together an audition in a few days, but had a counteroffer: He wanted to write a play about the heroes and their defense of Barrowmista during the goblin raid. They heroes hesitantly agreed.
Their final visitor was their most ominous. Sheriff Hemlock arrived one morning with mugs of coffee for the heroes. Hosting a fresh black eye, he explained that two people had been murdered at the lumber mill the past night. Disturbingly, the killer left a note suggesting Kurdan was involved in the murder. Hemlock was clear that he did not think Kurdan was involved, because there had been another recent murder. He had come to ask the heroes to help investigate the murder, but to also keep the murder quiet--- in fear the town may panic due to history of the Chopper.

Rewards Granted

Wand of Magic Missiles

Pearl of Power

Quiver of Endless Javelins

Lute of Building

Bauer's Spellbook

Character(s) interacted with

Thalina Androsana 

Emirikol 

Vulnademus 

Ameiko Jin 

Das Korvut 

Belor Hemlock

Report Date

12 Jan 2021

Primary Location

Barrowmista