Session 001 - Maid of Y'Matara

General Summary

On the 11th day of Gozran 1800 in the Common Era, six adventurers each found their way to the The Gilded Oasis, a well-known inn in the Merchant's Quarter of Y'Matara. Welcomed by Rashidi, the innkeeper, they were seated together and exchanged introductions: Tavo "Half-Tail", a Puffari Bard; Ramiq al-Tahdir, a Golynn Barbarian; Sharut, a Dwarf Druid; Hystor Reigh, a Human Fighter' and the Khenra Monk twins, Iseni and Sahira.   After introductions were made, the group ordered food and drink, awaiting for the patron who had requested help.   During this time, Zehra Greenfire, a performer of notable renown, took the stage. She sang the song 'When the Wheel Turns Again', which sings of the legend of the seven Eternals and the shapring of the world. When her song concluded, the tavern erupted into applause.   As Zehra Greenfire departed the stage, she allowed a delicate veil to fall. Sahira retrieved it and, upon touching the fabric, was granted a vision: a glimpse of the seven Eternals themselves.   Soon after, a red-haired woman named Nefara approached the table. With urgency in her tone, she requested aid in rescuing her companion, Isiris, a bard who had been taken by a priest of standing and power.   Nefara recounted the events of a recent festival marked by a sudden sandstorm. In the chaos, she saved Isiris from drowning - but Hasina Sebekem, a priest of the Order of Sekhrem-Ra caught in the same storm, was left unaided. In vengeance, Hasina Sebekem captured the bard. Though he granted Nefara legs to walk upon land and seek her friend, he exacted a cruel price: Isiris' voice.   Acting on Nefara's advice, the group sought an elf named Khatim, known to serve Hasina Sebekem and believed to hold knowledge of Isiris' whereabouts. Khatim was identified by his distinctive appearance: dirty blond hair, a blue and silver sash, and heterochromatic eyes - one white, one dark.   Tavo "Half-Tail" and Iseni spotted him on the upper level of the The Gilded Oasis, engaged in quiet conversation with Akhmethes Zekhir-Sa, a blue Dragonborn clad in wizard's robes. To draw attention away, Sahira and Hystor Reigh took to the floor in a feigned dance. Under this cover, Tavo "Half-Tail" and Iseni ascended.   Khatim, upon noticing their approach, abruptly fled - hurling himself through an upper window and triggering a pursuit through the streets of Y'Matara. The pursuit divided across two paths: Tavo "Half-Tail", Iseni, and Sahira gave chase across the rooftops, while Hystor Reigh, Ramiq al-Tahdir, and Sharut pursued along the ground.   During the pursuit, Sahira triggered a trap on a window which caused her to be struck with uncontrollable laughter, halting her advance. Sharut used magic to secure Khatim, however it also caused property damage. Seizing an opportunity, Hystor Reigh fired upon Khatim with a crossbow, striking a fatal blow. Seeking to conceal his involvement, Hystor Reigh placed the crossbow into the hands of a nearby slave. The guards, arriving moments later, executed the slave for the killing of Khatim.   Following the confrontation, Ramiq al-Tahdir inspected Khatim's, recovering a set of keys and retrieving the spent crossbow bolt. Iseni searched the fallen elf's possessions and discovered a scrap of parchment bearing an address: an abanoned temple of Talona, the Lady of Poison, located within the Worker's Quarter of Y'Matara.   As the commotion subsided, an elderly dwarven woman, Bertha Marn, emerged from a nearby dwelling, furious over the damage inflicted upon her roof during the chase. Akhmethes Zekhir-Sa, watching, publicly identified Sharut as the cause of the destruction.   Hystor Reigh engaged the woman in conversation, during which she spoke at length of her six deceased husbands. Meanwhile, Tavo "Half-Tail" distracted her further, presenting a bottle of rosewater perfume and successfully convincing her of its exaggerated value.   During this encounter, Hystor Reigh also crossed paths with Iskha de la Plume, a playwright and journalist of local fame, who has been observing the scence. Iskha de la Plume, Hystor Reighbeing a fan of her works 'Seven Husbands', exchanges words with her and a signature before they depart the scene.   The group made their way from the Merchant’s Quarter into the Worker’s Quarter, following the directions to the Abandoned Temple of Talona. Upon arrival, they found the structure shuttered and still, its doors closed against the street. All but Hystor Reigh entered through the left-side door. Hystor attempted the right-side entrance, but when it failed to open, he forced it with a kick—triggering a concealed mechanism. A spike emerged and pierced his foot.   Inside, Iseni and Sahira paused to eat a handful of dried figs left near the entry. Meanwhile, Ramiq al-Tahdir, Tavo "Half-Tail", and Sharut proceeded down a stairwell into a subterranean chamber. There, they encountered four mummified guardians who rose to attack.   The battle was joined swiftly, with Hystor Reigh forcing entry and rejoining the group mid-conflict. The mummies were defeated through combined effort. In the aftermath, Ramiq and Tavo remarked on the unusual presence of mummified dead within the city—an anomaly in Y'Matara's traditions.   Tavo, wary, advised everyone to draw blood to adhere to the law. When Iseni asked if he would report their actions, Tavo replied only: “There are eyes everywhere.”   The group split to search the temple’s branching corridors.   Iseni, Sahira, and Ramiq proceeded down the left hall. There, Iseni recovered a poisoner’s kit, and Ramiq located two well-balanced daggers.   Hystor explored the right hall alone, uncovering a cache containing a bottle of aged brandy and two cigars.   Meanwhile, Ramiq and Tavo descended the center hall, deliberately ignoring the side passages. At its end, they entered a large, shadowed chamber. As they crossed the threshold, the door sealed shut behind them. Within stood Hasina Sebekem , who greeted their demand for Isiris with cold laughter. Ramiq attempted to question him, but Tavo responded to the insult by casting Thunderbolt, initiating the confrontation.   Hearing the blast, Iseni, Sahira, and Ramiq made their way through an adjacent passage, only to find the entry sealed. Sahira attempted to pry the door open with her spear, which broke under the strain. Hystor, now in a nearby chamber, forced his own path through a sealed door using a crowbar.   At last, Iseni, Sahira, and Ramiq forced their way into the chamber. In the battle that followed, Sahira struck the final blow against Hasina. Hystor then located Isiris, locked in a side cell, and freed her.   Moments later, Nefara arrived, reclaiming her friend. She expressed gratitude and pledged to meet the party again at the Gilded Oasis to deliver the promised reward.   Following the battle, Tavo searched Hasena’s body and recovered the following items:  
  • 180 gold pieces
  • A pot of awakening
  • A spell-infused staff
  • A potion of healing
  Meanwhile, Sahira searched the chamber more thoroughly. Amid the debris, she discovered an ornate Deck of Many Things. As she handled the artifact, she glimpsed, out of the corner of her eye, the fleeting image of a halfling—small, bespectacled, and grinning—watching her from the shadows.   Each member of the group, drawn by curiosity or fate, elected to draw at least one card from the deck.   The group exited through the central hallway, pausing to investigate the previously unopened doors.   Hystor, Ramiq, and Tavo discovered a chamber containing several empty sarcophagi. Among them, they found a bronze dagger, identified as a sentimental relic often venerated by followers of Talona.   Iseni and Sahira found another chamber adorned with ancient murals. Within, Iseni examined a small altar and recovered two gold pieces, a scarab amulet valued at 5 gold, and a vial of holy water.   Elsewhere, Sharut located a basin filled with lightly enchanted water, at the bottom of which lay scattered gold coins.   In the final room, Iseni and Sahira encountered a scorpion idol. When Sahira touched the statue, she was immediately swarmed by thousands of tiny scorpions, which consumed all edible items in her possession. Tavo entered shortly after and, recognizing the sacred nature of the idol, offered an act of humility by bowing before it. The scorpion idol responded, unlocking a hidden compartment. Tavo recovered the idol itself, valued at approximately 2 gold pieces.   Having concluded their exploration, the group returned to the Gilded Oasis, where Nefara awaited them. She paid the promised reward in full.   Following this, Ramiq extended an offer for the party to stay with him at his home in the Docks Quarter, a small and squalid dwelling. All accepted except Sharut, who chose to remain at the inn, and Tavo, who returned to his personal residence. Upon entering his home, Tavo found an unknown figure seated within—wearing a red mask and a red cape.