Session 24.
Lamashan the 15th.
Before we left camp this morning, Amivor met us for a quick briefing. He acknowledged the presence of Red Mantis in the region. Apparently they have a camp north-east of our location. He asked us not to “go looking for trouble” and not “sabotage their work here”. His comments imply that he believes their mission here is to explore Saventh-Yhi. I had thought their mission was to kill us and stop us from exploring Saventh-Yhi. Well, in any event we shall avoid direct confrontation for now and continue our exploration.
Amivor also mentioned there is still a possibility that a Dragon does live within the ruin, so we should be prepared for that likelihood. He told us the Pathfinders plan to send an exploratory force into the Military District today now that the threat level in that part of the city is within acceptable limits.
I was able to purchase a few scrolls to scribe into my spellbook to augment my growing powers. I am quite pleased to have gained a spell that allows me to Fly for a good portion of the day.
Our exploration of what appears to be the mercantile district continues. We heard a noise from a nearby building early on and opened the door to find a swarm of rats within. A quick fan of flames eliminated that threat and we entered the building to investigate.
A stone stairwell led downward to a basement made up of a number of short halls and small rooms. One of the rooms held a sarcophagus that had been broken open. The others continued on as I inspected the Sarcophagus, so I was not directly involved in what happened next.
The next room appeared to be an alchemical lab and the sole occupant took exception to our interruption of his work. A wave of fear washed over the group and I heard Max strike something with his hammer (a sound I have become quite familiar with) and Taraz call upon the power of Sarenrae in Aklo (until very recently, the only language he could speak in moments of stress for some strange reason, but he has now added Ignan to the mix). I never got to see it up and about as it was destroyed by the time I entered the room, but there on the floor were the remains of a Mummy. Apparently it had been walking around until just moments before I came in.
Within the room we found a few scrolls and potions, but more interestingly, we found an ancient longsword. Wave Cutter was the name etched upon the blade in Azlanti. Apparently quite useful underwater, but alas, no one in the group uses such a blade. We shall give it to the Pathfinders for a suitable reward (they have proven quite generous when it comes to rewarding us for items recovered from the ruin).
We found little else and continued on our way with this district’s spear as our goal. We passed the remains of many merchant houses and trading companies before we finally reached the spear. The markings indicate this spear is the Spear of Wealth. We spotted an area of the supporting ziggurat that had collapsed and formed a large opening. Upon investigation we found the cave to be the roost of a gargantuan bat. It was a little disconcerting, but once I had cast Haste upon the group it was quickly defeated. Upon examining the cave I came to the conclusion that I shall never run out of one of the material components for my Fireball spell while we are near Saventh-Yhi. We found nothing else of value within.
We proceed up the ziggurat to the base of the spear. We noted many references to the god Abadar and found the relevant information on how to activate the spear.
Much like the last spear, there were three ways.
1. Anoint the spear with expensive oils and salves made from powdered gems.
2. Have a cleric that worships a deity of merchants or wealth channel energy into the spear.
3. Perform a complex ceremony that involves evaluating and counting treasure in front of the spear.
None of these are likely to happen given our resources and skill set.
The ziggurat also gave us a good view of the surrounding area. We noted a building on an island to the south, a fortified building on a small peninsula to the east and an island in a swamp to the north-west. It was about the middle of the day, so after taking a break, we decided to loop back toward camp.
Our path to the spear had brought us through the center of the district and yesterday we had explored the eastern edge along the central lake, so we opted to follow a path along the western edge of the city and investigate the swamp along the way. We reached the edge of the swampland where the island was close by, only about fifteen feet across the open water at its narrowest point. The isle was covered with the broken skeletal remains of many crocodiles. Max jumped across to investigate while the rest of us stood ready (none of those remaining could have made the jump safely and none wanted to enter the water given the apparent prevalence of crocodiles in the area).
Sure enough, a gargantuan crocodile appeared out of the water on the far side of the island. Ace was able to blind it momentarily, giving Max time to drink a few potions to prepare for battle. Then a great battle ensued. Ace summoned a few more crocs into the mix (on our side of course) and Max waded into battle. As I flew up and seared it with a Fireball the great beast grabbed Max within its jaws and moments later, swallowed him whole. We all feared this was the end for Max, but only a few moments later he emerged from the belly of the beast, slashing his way through its hide with a dagger. A truly amazing feat!
The crocodile was critically wounded at that point and my two Scorching Rays finished it off. I think Max was disappointed not to have struck the killing blow, but otherwise thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. I shall never understand the Shoanti mindset.
We returned to camp to report our findings to Amivor and rest.
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Lamashan the 16th.
Amivor has verified much of our findings from the Mercantile District and has also informed us that their research has shown that only one spear at a time can be active within the city.
We have decided to start our exploration at the fortified structure near the central lake. The markings on the building indicate the building was once a treasury. I chose not to share this information, primarily because I knew Max would be extremely disappointed if it had already been looted. As perceptive as he is, he did note carvings that showed individuals counting coins. I was able to convince him they were gambling.
Sure enough, the interior was devoid of anything of value. As Ace, Max and Kay’Es went up to investigate the second floor, Taraz and I investigated one of the rooms below. We really should know better than to split the party. Moments later a Shadow attacked us. Between Taraz’s channeling and my magical Force Punch it didn’t stand a chance. We quickly ran upstairs to see if the others had run into trouble, but they seemed to have things well in hand.
While investigating a second room upstairs we encountered a Greater Shadow. It drained much of Max’s strength before we were able to destroy it. Luckily Taraz was able to Restore Max’s strength using a little of the Diamond Dust we had purchased only yesterday. Once more, though he had been drained to a point where he was actually weaker than I, Max seemed to revel in the new challenges and experiences presented by this encounter. I have never seen anyone enjoy almost dying and becoming an undead abomination as much as Max. As he takes great pride in his strength, I think he would not have enjoyed it as much had the damage been permanent. I thank the gods that it was not.
We shall now rest through the hottest part of the day before we continue. I think the large building upon the isle to the south shall be our next objective.
