Session 8/9 Report (2/23. 2/29)

General Summary

The party departs the maze to be met face to face with 3 goliaths.
Ettrian urges for their death and claims they were monsters to his people.
With the Goliaths slain the group heads down to Arkae, a mountain village. Ettrian stays in the village to recover and the group heads down the mountain to take the jungle road to Eram. The path is difficult to follow. They happen upon a grove of lavender flowers, closer inspection reveals they contain paralysis powers. The group makes it to the edge of the lake that they were told about and a woodelf ferries them across. Lesha and Sadie are two adventuring girls who convince the group to escort them out of the jungle. Following the path again they run into a group of Frogmen who yell alot and try to kill them with their black headed spears and magic. They take a crude black crystal from the shaman and a box of vials. 4 Golden health postions, 4 lavender paralysis potions, 8 vials of jet black "water". The girls turn out to be demons in disguise and run away. A firey rift in the ground exudes red/black flame blocks their path, Eileris get's them through with only minor burns. They find a shrine of stones in the woods with a clear crystal lying inside. When they touch the black crystal to it, it also turns clear. When they touched the 1st crystal to a rabbit, both exploded.
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After crossing the stone bridge that they were told about they follow a tiny stream of black water up to a pond where two odd wood elves are "guarding" it while waiting for their friends to bring buckets to carry the water back to their village. After crossing a large stream the group finds a larger path and follows it down to the decrepit town of Eram. The party in the square that night and meet some sailors who seem to work for the Sails of Indus. The next morning the party stocks up on supplies and follows a cart and men leaving town up to the mine. There is a small hamlet with a few buildings and stables at the bottom of a cliff, the larger building contains a guy who seems to be enchanting a crystal. Camryn seeks into a bedroom and over hears a conversation between the man who was leading the cart and an unknown voice.  The group lights the building a blaze.  The cart leader and his 3 guards head out of the building in search of the trouble. They are unable to spot the party until the other 2 buildings are burning as well.  While the leader is standing in the middle of the road shooting magic at people, his guards get head to head with the group. The guards all seem to have some magical powers and aqua crystals around their necks.  After a bit, an old wizard with a large blue crystal around his neck emerges from up the road and blasts a fireball at Lurik, Camryn, and a guard. Obliterating the guard and damaging Lurik and Camryn.  Lurk decapitates the wizard. The crystal around his neck falls off and explodes.  The group is then able to finally take out the leader of the guards, but not before Lurik takes an almost fatal blow. Luckily, he recovers.  A messenger from the Aekron Order, Aloe, arrives a little bit later and debriefs the group on new events within the Order.  Menid has fallen to the Sails of Indus and the Order is preparing an assault on Indus itself. A mission was conceived to hopefully assure victory for the Order. The adventurers are the only available people to succeed in this task - Kill the 3 nobles/ traders that are funding the Sails of Indus. Takish, the captain of the Nashte-Dama harbor (Nashte-Dama), Sebek-Khu, a black market dealer (Nashte-Dama), Ephitor, owner of the crystal mine (Eram/Nashte-Dama). Aloe also notifies them that a guy named Salad will be waiting in Eram to smuggle them to Nashte-Dama when they are ready. (But he won't wait forever). 
The party heads into the mine and discovers more men with solemn faces wearing small black crystals loading ornate chests into a wagon. Lurik kills them.  Next they find a man chained, half naked, with a large purple crystal around his neck. He is in pain and incapable of communicating until Mycestra gives him a healing potion. He was captured and enchanted with this crystal, it is incredibly painful but can only be removed with magic.   They then stumble upon a large cavern with an alter and circle of sigils. Two wizards are chanting in Abyssal. The room is lined with 10 people chained to the walls nearly incapacitated but not dead, wearing black crystal pendants around their necks.  The group slays the wizards and attempts to speak with the imprisoned. 
Sadie, the Succubus girl from before confidently walks past the group and into the room. Turns to look at them, "Hello, boys and girls, nice to see you again". 
Until next time...

Report Date

01 Mar 2020