We have made it back to The Sanctum and are ready for a quick nap. And we find ourselves in yet another dream. Bound and gagged. Pash no where to be seen.
Treeavenger, Bardon, and I each try to wriggle out of our binds, but find them to magically sealed and rebinding.
After a time, an executioner appears, heading our way slowly.
When he reaches us, as he goes to strike, he disappears. The guards as well. Pash appears out a side passage and helps unbind us.
And then we are suddenly back in The Sanctum. A strange nightmare to be sure.
We head back down, ready to head onward to the 6th Rod of Seven Parts. After taking a few minutes to deliberate about anything we needed to sell from the last area.
The next area seems to be Oerth, the home place of Vecna. Expect jungle and snakes.
We head through and find a bunch of people on the beach being attacked by a Kraken.
A woman calls out for us to help.
Me:
The spectators continue escaping Southward.
Treeavenger gets swallowed by the Kraken and we continue to try and bring it down. Eventually we get it to spit him up and it flees the area.
The one who called for us initially, Laysa Matulin, leads us to their camp.
She introduces us to some of the others on her team: Vogren Stonewheel, Talo Tieria, and Marian Xavere.
She tells us about several important artifacts related to her family that they are looking for in the area:
- Ebony wand decorated with bones and feathers
- Ring of golden stars
- Sacred scimitar dedicated to serpent spirits
- Set of copper tablets engraved with incantations
- Crystal orb used in rituals
- Blue silk sash used in ceremonies
We discuss with them about the Rod of Seven Parts and the piece we are looking for.
They are willing to lead up to the foreign made complex nearby, but don’t plan to enter themselves. Sure that it contains the both the artifacts she is looking for, and the rod piece we are looking for.
Marian Xavere has a Lantern of Revealing with her, and with some persuading from Pash, she lends it to us.
As we head to the place, Laysa Matulin gives us a small map showing two trapped passageways off the sides of the main entrance, warning that they couldn’t make any progress in those directions themsevles.
We arrive at the tomb.
We try the area with the arrow traps. I try to step into the room, and barely dodge the hail of arrows. Truly too annoying for anyone else to make it across.
Bardon uses Tenser’s Floating Disk to take me and him across the the way without pressing any of the pressure plates.
We make it across and find a note carved into the stone:
“Acererak commends you! Alas, these doors lead nowhere, but your skill shall not go unrewarded. Should you wish to plumb the depths of my tomb, heed these words: the blue one craves your magic.”
We hover back across, realizing the truth in the words. And decide to check the North door as well for anything of note.
I try to step into the room and another pressure plate depresses. A stone slab encloses the room and magical fire begins to fill it. Treeavenger manages to push it back up, while I quickly check the doors. False. And with no note.
I escape as quick as I can.
A relief of a scowling, fiendish face made of azure mosaic tiles spans the hallway’s back wall. The face’s mouth is open, revealing a black maw, and its eyes are carved from clouded white crystal. To the right of the mosaic is a closed door.
We fiddle about a bit because Pash notices a door below in the spike pit. Sick of their shit, I slide on down to check it out using the Lantern of Revealing.
Recite
Break Time
I wait for the others to reach me after letting them know I found a puzzle.
We notice a repeating message along the shelves holding mugs in the area:
“A septet of libations I present to you, But only one will help you escape this tomb. Six drinks are magic; one is mundane. Those marked with stars are vitality’s bane. Blue is neither blessing nor curse. Moon cleanses you of illness or worse. Green’s neighbor is never boring— Drink deep; pass through the flooring.”
Star = bad Blue = normal Moon = Cleanse? Green = not mundane if next to green
We determine the Red Square is the one to drink from. I try the Moon one, but nothing happens. Since I’m not sick probably?
We all drink from the Red Square and sink beneath the floorboards as mist:
Treeavenger quickly takes the North East passage.
I take the south path and find a courtyard of sorts.
Weirdly too good to be true. We decide to pass on through… And find an arena with a pair of large Granite Juggernauts.
At the same time, Pash finds a hidden door leading to a grassy area with a starry sky. He notices a chest and has me come open it.
It is trapped, but we find the Ring of golden stars inside.
Treeavenger is the first to head into the room with the Juggernauts.
We dust one of them pretty easily. We manage to take out the other after it runs me over…
Treeavenger runs off and gets smashed by the roof somewhere, but me and Pash don’t really notice.
In the corner of the room is a hidden door with:
A five-foot-tall, triangular stone covered in runes stands in this bare room’s center. At the top of the stone, a plum-sized diamond pulses with red light.
Its a helpless diamond worth 5000g. Pash nicks it for himself.
We head back to the octagon area.
Treeavenger bolts through the foggy area to the East. Bardon follows after. After a few minutes Pash does as well. Eventually, I follow too. Into a cramped void where I bump into something that hurts a lot. But open a nearby door into a library.
We find the copper tablets for Laysa Matulin, brings a nearby statue to life.
We take it out handedly, though it does try to cast some spells to minimal effect.
The copper sheets act as a Manual of Bodily Health. Something to consider.
We additionally notice a weird void and puzzle to the north of us.
Pash grabs a nearby spell scroll… which activates another golem.
We struggle a bit with it, suffering its slowing affect. For a… scroll of Greater Restoration.
I swap a dagger with a thin leather bound journal, which says only:
Combination, crypt doors. “Die"
"Die” is written in Draconic.
We check the left side door and find another void like area.
Check the other doors. Double doors seem unopenable. The other door leads to another pulsing void area.
We manage to pass through the void area on the left with the help of the lantern and Pash’s true sight.
Recite
END SESSION