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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cypherblade" data-source="post: 9840728" data-attributes="member: 7048389">[spoiler]In the meantime, aboard the ship, Ayleen had crafted a cloak of the manta ray. This allows Staf to move smoothly and effortlessly underwater.The three sharks move in to attack us. Staf rushes forward, and we quickly cut down and shoot the first one. A second continues to harry us, while the third turns and flees. Staf catches the fleeing one and strikes it; the creature transforms into a half-orc. Meanwhile, the second shark falls to a cantrip from Felix. The half-orc shifts back into a shark and attempts to flee again, but Staf finishes it off. We weigh the body down with a stone so it won’t float to the surface.We try to get our bearings. There are multiple lights rising from the depths here. For now, we leave the ship above us alone, since we remain undetected. In a pit lies the ruin of what was once a ziggurat, though its upper portion is gone. There are also two shipwrecks. At several points within the ruin, light emanates from six large glass bells (magical air bubbles underwater that one can freely enter and exit), and there is also a large iron crane. Most striking is a massive golden plate still half-buried in the ground beneath the crane. About five people are working around it, and several octopuses swim nearby. The water current here is exceptionally strong, as if it originates from the golden plate.We attack the five figures. Staf immediately strikes down a tiefling woman, but is then magically compelled to feel friendlier toward one of our opponents. This does not last long, however, as Felix hurls a chromatic orb at the archaeologists, killing the charmer and two others, while the last can barely remain standing. As the archaeologists fall, the crane begins to unwind, and the golden disk attached to it tilts slightly forward. It then receives a surge from behind, and six creatures emerge from another dimension. They are clearly aquatic beings. Fortunately, they are quickly dispatched. Shortly thereafter, a pure water form emerges from the gate, lashing a tentacle toward Staf but missing.Staf lands two solid blows on the elemental, but cannot prevent it from fully pulling itself through the portal. We continue firing at it, and moments later it dissolves into the seawater. Staf turns the crane back, attempting to realign the portal and close it. On the ground, Ayleen spots a golden circle in front of the portal, but it has been smeared. Another water tentacle lashes through the portal and strikes Staf before our veteran can fully seal it.Using a handful of gold coins, Ayleen repairs the circle, which appears to function as a secondary defensive measure. Meanwhile, Kane examines the bodies. Most are from Crisillyir; the tiefling wears a gold ring with a white stone (Bergeron had one as well, and Macbannin had a copper version). The inscription reads: “Original Brave Ideas.” We then examine the golden plate covered in symbols referring to water and aquatic beings. It appears our opponents were also in the process of realigning the seal.Kane casts speak with dead on the tiefling woman, who proves fairly talkative:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What were your plans with this seal? The intent was to study the seal, especially the abjurations surrounding it—complex ancient magic. Unlike the previous one, we wanted to properly examine this seal first.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For which organization do you work? I don’t know its name. It is divided into multiple cells, which is why there are rings of different colors—rings that also protect against divination. I worked under Bergeron.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What is your organization’s goal? I don’t know, but Bergeron’s objective was to investigate the locations of the seals and to transport one of them to Danor.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">What can you tell me about Meredith? She is a professor of archaeology from Risur. She was present at the previous excavation and returned half-mad. Beyond that, I don’t know much about her.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Which other temple locations have you discovered? The Temple of Jiese was located in the Malice Lands, east of Danor—a region of Wild Magic. Everything about it is described in the letter Bergeron sent me.</li> </ul>We discuss our next steps but do not reach an immediate conclusion. Eventually, we decide to search for Meredith aboard the Dagger, assuming she is still there.Once night falls, we notice increased activity on the large ship above us, and several new figures dive into the water. We move beneath the Dagger. An hour after sunset, the anchor of the three-master is raised. We swim up toward the Dagger, which we now clearly see is lashed to the smaller Beran vessel.From the water, we hear agitated voices. There is commotion between the two ships—panic, by the sound of it. Several sailors are rushing back and forth, and someone lies on the deck as they attempt to revive her. It appears to be Xambria Meredith.We all climb aboard. Besides Meredith, there are six orcs, a goblin, and four Risurians present. Sarïa and Kane examine the archaeologist’s body, and Kane—sensitive to spirits—feels Meredith’s soul slipping away. He must decide in a fraction of a second whether to allow her consciousness to pass into him or to let her depart forever into the afterlife. He opens his mind to her.Meredith immediately floods Kane with a wave of thoughts and emotions. An entity named Sijhen had possessed her in the ziggurat of Apeth. He was deeply interested in the Obscurati, Bergeron’s organization. Saxby is also involved—something the entity learned; the creature acquires knowledge by consuming brains. According to Meredith, Sijhen has returned to Flint. He realized something had gone wrong when the water grew too calm. His goal was to open the gate, but he fears us, and so he fled—though not before destroying Meredith from within.Using detect planar energy, we find traces of both Gidim and Apeth energy on Meredith’s lifeless body. The others aboard the two ships are clean, and Kane—despite carrying Meredith within his mind—mercifully does not radiate that energy; there is only a faint trace of the Bleak Gate.[/spoiler]Players were on a killer spree and missed out on the letter, despite Finona being talkative in her death. So I will need to improvise on how to provide the intell to the players.</blockquote>

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