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Published on Leave a comment on Acquisitions Inc. Session Four

Epic Summary: The Wizard-Goblin and the Vault of Severed Feet

Deep within the shifting tunnels, the party of Intrepid Interns’ journey took a turn for the strange and the miraculous. From a hidden alcove behind ancient stalagmites, a lone goblin named Gorkoh emerged. He initially attempted to bluff the seasoned heroes, brandishing a gnarled piece of driftwood as if it were a "wand of annihilation." However, the party saw through his terror and offered him kindness instead of steel. Gorkoh, who had been separated from his mentor, Caerhan, revealed that a monstrous Carrion Crawler lurked in the very next cavern—the same beast that had scattered his previous companions.

United by a common foe, Gorkoh joined the group and pointed out a tactical advantage: a cluster of fragile, razor-sharp stalactites hanging precariously over a narrow passage.

The Ambush Gone Awry

With the intelligence provided by their new goblin ally, the party devised a plan. Ash, the Goliath barbarian, attempted to sneak forward through the gloom to position himself as the lure, intending to draw the beast into the stalactite trap. However, fate was not on his side. As he crept through the darkness, Ash inadvertently kicked a pile of jumbled rocks. The clatter echoed through the silence of the cave, instantly alerting the Carrion Crawler.

Before the trap could be set, the many-legged horror surged forward with unnatural speed. This left Ash isolated and facing the creature one-on-one. The Crawler's venomous tentacles lashed out and razor-sharp teeth snapped at the Goliath rendering him unconscious before his companions could bridge the gap.

The Battle of the Chasm

The situation grew dire until Monty, the cleric, stepped forward. With a timely and desperate intervention, he channeled divine energy to stabilize and heal the fallen warrior, pulling Ash back from the brink.

With the Goliath recovered, Simon the Bard saw his opening to execute the original plan with a magical twist. He unleashed a powerful Thunder Wave spell that rippled through the cavern air. The magical vibration was so intense it shattered the weakened ceiling Gorkoh had identified. A hail of razor-sharp stone fragments rained down upon the Crawler, shredding the creature and ending its reign of terror. Amidst the monster's remains, the party discovered a grim pile of bones belonging to fallen adventurers, recovering a +1 longsword with a skeletal hilt and a shimmering red garnet.

Gorkoh, in exchange only for food and lodging is now a loyal and enterprising employee, followed the party deeper into the dark, his driftwood "wand" tucked safely away.

The Chamber of Stomping Feet

The party then entered one of the strangest rooms in the underworld: a circular hall filled with hundreds of bare, severed humanoid feet. In the center, a massive granite block carved like a giant foot hung suspended from the ceiling.

After initially creeping around the room carefully studying the runes, Simon began to walk across the center. The room erupted into chaos. Ten of the severed feet sprang to life, hopping and kicking with unnatural force. At the same time, the "Big Foot" above began to slam down rhythmically, attempting to crush the intruders. One of the falling slabs "bonked" Monty on the head before the party could decipher the room's mechanics.

Through a study of the runes on the walls, they realized the trap’s secret. By placing their own bare feet into the rune-marked footprints on the north and south walls, they were able to deactivate the ancient magic. The hopping feet were eventually subdued, and the granite block stilled. Though the party secured the room, they were left with the chilling mystery of why so many severed feet had been magically teleported to this dark corner of the world.

Published on Leave a comment on Acquisitions Inc. Session Three

In which the party has a hard-fought victory against some undead, continues their journey through the deep, marked by tests of teamwork and the hazards of the earth itself, and ends with a somber discovery…

The Cleansing of the Tomb

As the double doors shattered, the party was met by the unsettling sight of cloth-wrapped bodies rising from stone slabs. The Goliath Ash led the charge with devastating bludgeoning attacks, while Simon, Smog, and Monty supported from the rear with a barrage of spells. In fact Simon, Smog, and Monty all seemed to be in a competition to see who could get further back behind the other using their teammates as cover, leaving Ash in the front alone. Together, they successfully dispatched the four zombies. Among the spoils, they found silver necklaces on the four zombies worth 10gp each and a potion of healing accompanied by a spell scroll of bless. Realizing the toll of the battle, the heroes took a short rest within the chamber, allowing Ash to recover his strength before venturing further.

The Maze of Tunnels and Traps

Beyond the chamber, the adventurers entered a treacherous maze of crisscrossing passages weakened by recent earthquakes.

  • The Cave-In: The trail of the missing guards was nearly lost when a massive cave-in blocked their path. Working as one, the group used their combined athletics and survival skills to clear the debris and shore up the passage to move forward. In one instance Simon used his exceptional understanding of harmonics and sonic effects to sing and play a tune at just the right pitches and frequencies to clear away some of the debris.
  • The Blood Weeds: They soon encountered a circular passage choked with carnivorous blood weeds. Through a mix of acrobatics and survival instincts, the party navigated the thorny vines without taking necrotic damage.
  • The Acid Pit: A final hazard awaited in the form of a hidden pit filled with weak acid and floating bones. Lacking a rogue to disable the mechanism, the party used their keen perception to identify the trap and simply leaped across the ten-foot gap.

The Spider’s Lair and the Fallen Constable

The tunnels eventually opened into a natural cavern obscured by thick, dusty webs where humanoid cocoons hung from the ceiling. Their investigation was interrupted by a giant spider springing from a hidden depression in the cavern wall.

  • The Combat: The arachnid initially restrained Monty with a web attack But failed to successfully ensnare anyone else with subsequent attacks which would ultimately spell the doom of this spider. Monty had great difficulty freeing himself even while assisted by Simon. It took several attempts at clearing away the webs before Monty was finally able to rip them from him. Ash easily dodged several web attacks and put three arrows into the spider from afar. The giant spider had climbed to the ceiling in an effort to protect itself to no avail. Smog added in a few spell shots, which brought the beast down.
  • A Somber Discovery: Within the web cocoons, they found a deceased kobold explorer and the grim remains of Constable Yander Boot, who had succumbed to the spider's poison. The corpse of Constable Boot was indeed missing the finger that they had found earlier with the giant rats. The party members, with care and reverence, removed his badge of office as a constable to take back as proof and Monty said a short prayer over his body as a memorial.
  • Final Spoils: From the fallen, they recovered vital supplies, including alchemist's fire, antitoxin, holy water, and another potion of healing to aid them in the trials ahead.

Published on Leave a comment on Acquisitions Inc. Session Two

The chronicles of the intrepid adventurers began with a daring descent into the lightless depths of a great fissure. Though the rope held steady, the flat stone floor below—partially choked with rubble—offered a grim welcome. As Monty cast a light cantrip to pierce the gloom, the party discovered two sets of humanoid boot prints leading north into the dark.

The First Trial: The Vermin Swarm

The silence of the cavern was short-lived as six giant rats surged from the rubble, surrounding the heroes. In the fierce melee that followed, Smog the dragonborn sorcerer was rendered unconscious. Though the party managed to revive him and slay the beasts, a gruesome discovery awaited them: the last rat coughed up a humanoid finger bearing a platinum ring etched with the name "Burton Boot"—the father of one of the missing constables.

Humbled by this "reality check," the party retreated to the surface to rest and gather supplies. They pooled their gold for healing potions and, despite a lingering distrust of a potion bought from a treacherous rapscallion named Jerr, they returned to the depths with renewed resolve.

The Chamber of the Four Pools

Returning to the site of their first battle, the party pushed north into a grand rectangular chamber supported by ancient buttresses. Within, they found four mystical pools—blue, green, clear, and cloudy—guarded by carvings of robed figures. After carefully investigating each pool, even to the point of sniffing them, the party took a leap of faith And decided one person would immerse themselves in a pool each. They quickly realized that each pool was a trial against a mental or personality characteristic. With an abundance of caution they thought maybe Ash the Barbarian was not the best person to send on a test of intellect or wisdom. Therefore Simon did two of the polls instead of just one:

  • The Blue Pool: Simon braved horrific mental visions and emerged with his mind steeled for battle.
  • The Green Pool: Smog again faced the depths, proving his constitution and gaining resistance to toxins.
  • The Clear Pool: Simon tested his intellect against the waters, achieving a preternatural "clarity of mind".
  • The Cloudy Pool: Monty endured a wisdom-testing acidic itch, proving his stoic nature.

Their perseverance was rewarded when a silver key studded with red garnets manifested, allowing them to unlock the grand double doors ahead.

The Gauntlet of Traps

Beyond the doors lay a ninety-foot hallway designed to break the unwary:

  • Fire and Water: They bypassed a fire trap only for Ash the Goliath to tumble into a pit filled with exfoliating blue fish. Standing seven feet tall, he simply reached up and pulled himself out, feeling oddly refreshed.
  • The Mark of the Bard: During a leap over a previous hazard, Simon failed a dexterity check and was doused in magical, "pet-safe" green dye. Now vibrant green from head to toe, the Bard declared the look an upgrade to his stage act.
  • The Teleportation Seal: Detecting powerful magic on the final lock, the party bypassed a teleportation trap through sheer caution.

The Rising Dead

Lacking a thief's tools, Ash used his massive maul to shatter the final lock. As the doors swung wide, Simon cast a prestidigitation spell to grant glowing sparkly lights around him and he made a dramatic leap into the room. They all beheld a chamber lined with stone slabs. Upon them lay human-sized bodies wrapped tightly in off-white cloth—and even as the heroes watched, the "mummies" began to rise.

Published on Leave a comment on Acquisitions Inc. Session One

The beginning of the Acquisitions Incorporated campaign sees the four characters arriving Port Zoon on the Menagerie Coast as they have appointments at the headquarters of Acquisitions Incorporated seeking employment. The players and their characters are:

  • Matt playing Smog Scaleborn, a male green dragonborn sorcerer
  • Eric playing Ash, a male goliath barbarian
  • CJ playing Monty Chancewell, a male Verdan Cleric
  • Tim, playing Simon Le Magnique a male Eladrin Bard

In the past Ash has worked as the roadie for Simon on his musical tours. They and the other two characters have decided they need a better quality of life and more stable jobs so here they are at Acquisitions Incorporated.

They waited in the waiting area and were getting to know each other, sampling the snacks and drinks and thinking at the very least they got some free food out of the deal. It wasn’t long before the door to the conference room opened, and an intense-looking half-elf in plate armor entered. He wore a holy symbol of Tymora, the goddess of fortune, around his neck. It’s Omin Dran! With no introduction, the CEO of Acquisitions Incorporated spoke:

“Thank you for answering my call so quickly. When the earthquake struck the city two days ago, damage was limited, but a sinkhole opened up a fissure beneath an abandoned warehouse in Dock Ward. Two City Watch guards entered the fissure to investigate, but never came out. They’re now feared dead, and the City Watch has asked me to take over the investigation. But my schedule is complicated at the moment, so I’m delegating that job to you. As an experienced adventuring group, I have no doubt that you can handle the task.”

Before they had any chance to respond, Omin dropped a hefty bag of coins onto the table. “The pay is 500 gold dragons for the group, with a 20 percent commission going to Acquisitions Incorporated as the broker. Go to the warehouse next to Jolly’s Lamp Emporium down by the docks. Tell the City Watch guards stationed there that I sent you. Explore the fissure, learn the fate of the guards who went missing, and then come back to me with the signed City Watch papers confirming your completed work.”

Then without another word, Omin Dran turned and left the room. Weirdly enough the bag of gold disappeared with him.

Thoroughly bewildered and realizing that this legendary Dran has them mistaken for another group, they debated what to do until they were interrupted yet again:

A puff of smoke erupted out of nowhere. As the haze dispersed, a handsome figure stepped forward. It’s Jim Darkmagic of the New Hampshire Darkmagics! Except he was wearing a set of glasses that he apparently thought was an effective disguise as he bowed before the party.

“I’m no one you know,” he said. “But I couldn’t help but notice that you seem a little flustered. I believe Omin just offered you work. And I also have a feeling you might not be the adventurers he thinks you are.”

Jim looked around to make sure no one else was listening in, then leaned forward to deliver a conspiratorial whisper. “You want my advice? Do the job. If you can pull it off, Omin will be so impressed that you’ll have a leg up on everybody else trying to gain footing with the company. You’ve heard the phrase “opportunity knocks?” Well, opportunity is heading right at your door with a battering ram. Stand in that doorway, friends. Let opportunity smash its way in.””

After asking him a few questions, the characters decided, what the heck, a job is a job and maybe this will allow them to get in and get their own franchise. So off to the Docks they went. Or, at least tried to given they were new to town.

As they wandered the docks area trying to find the warehouse district and the sinkhole, they came across a young rapscallion boy named Jerronimous “Jerr” Burntberry, who was selling healing potions and maps of the area. He seemed like a good lad and they could use the healing potions, so Ash bought one. They then asked him if he had maps to the warehouse district, to which he replied that he could actually guide them for the small fee of ten gold pieces. As they were new in town and completely lost, they took him up on the offer.

The young lad guided them through various alleyways in the warehouse district. When they turned a corner and went part way down an alley, they found their way blocked by a mysterious hooded figure with glowing eyes and three thugs in leather armor. They turned to ask the boy what was going on and he was nowhere to be seen. However, there were two more thugs behind them. The hooded figure removed their hood to reveal a skeletal face and demanded in a raspy voice, "Your money or your life." Knowing it was quite rare to run into a skeleton that could actually talk, they realized this was a serious threat and engaged their enemies. However, the combat was over in a few moments, with half the thugs on the ground unconscious and the rest running away. The skeleton was utterly destroyed. In a belt pouch on her person, they found a healing potion, 10 gold pieces, and the bones of four of her toes that she had kept because she was really attached to them at one time. However, after taking on some damage, they decided they better find a bar or pub and take a short rest.

On their way to find a bar, they came upon what was obviously a kidnapping. An old hobbling man, using a long staff to walk, was grabbed by two figures and dragged into an alley. They confronted the figures and demanded they release the man. The two figures were a dark dwarf and a tiefling and they could do math, seeing themselves outnumbered two to one. They quickly released the man and ran away. The man was named Cal and seemed sort of oblivious to what was going on, often looking about and talking to himself and seeming very unfocused. But as they were asking him if he was okay and checking on him, Cal’s eyes came into focus and he became as sober as a priest of Ilmater at sunup. “Their plans were afoot,” he whispered. “Their staff were ready. Their balance sheets were totaled, and that total was grim. They meant to bring the end of all things! You had to seek the magic! Only you could stop them! Only you! You … were who again, sorry?” After the brief moment of lucidity, he went back to looking all over the place in an unfocused manner and mumbling to himself. They decided he was no worse for wear and let him go on his way.

Not long after, they located a pub and settled down for a short rest and some drinks. They got directions from bar patrons and off to the warehouse district they went.

They did eventually find their destination, Jolly's Lamp Emporium, which was in an unassuming ramshackle shop in the middle of other unassuming ramshackle shops. Inside the shop, they found Jolly, a half-orc who ran the business, and a female half-elf named Feather, who appeared to just be hanging around but seemed perhaps like she was nursing a wound of some kind. The odd thing about this emporium was that there was a grand total of six lamps on display.

Jolly was not very chatty, but he did tell the party of intrepid adventurers that there had been a sudden earthquake of some kind a few days before and that a sinkhole had opened up, collapsing part of the warehouse next door, and he knew the watch was checking it out. He also offered that his understanding was there used to be tunnels underneath the street level, probably used by the Thieves Guild in the past, and he knew they had stopped using them for some mysterious reason. He believed the sinkhole had collapsed and created an opening into those tunnels, but he wasn't going in to check it out.

The party then left the Emporium and headed over to the warehouse, finding a captain of the watch and two guards on duty. Captain Mergin Tuff, a female elf, was a rather laconic figure. It looked like she would rather have been somewhere else. When she saw the party approaching, she pulled out a scroll and, glancing at them, said, "Well it took you long enough. Let's get this done so we can get on with our lives." She was expecting a party from Acquisitions Inc. and began asking them if they were the different people on her list, which they clearly were not. The party realized yet again that someone thought they were someone they were not, but they wanted the job, so they went along with it. It was fairly obvious the captain didn't really care as long as someone went down and investigated the fissure and as long as that someone was not her. She told them that two members of the City Watch — Sergeant Ava Teeshe and Constable Yander Boot — had descended into the fissure a day earlier to make sure it held nothing dangerous. From the bottom of the sinkhole, they had followed an underground passage north. They hadn’t been seen or heard from since. The city had contracted with Acquisitions, Inc. to investigate the fissure and find out the fate of the guards and also ensure that it was safe to send down civilian inspectors. If, upon completion of the task, the inspectors were later sent down and harm came to them because it was not indeed safe, Acquisitions Inc. would be sued, and the party knew Acquisitions Inc. would come after them for repayment of their fee. Upon completion of this task, the party would receive 500 gold pieces minus the 20% commission that Acquisitions Inc. would take. The party was not keen on going down into a dark hole in the ground, but money was money and starving was not fun, so down they went…

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We went back to the base camp to pick up Bell Cry and take a rest. The idea was that Bell Cry would be able to cast Remove Curse on the blue elf Olara, who had been accursed for hundreds of years and could not leave the area for centuries and centuries.

Bell Cry informed us that the other Kenku had had a similar vision to Blynce's -- a voice that popped into the head.

We were beginning to piece together a picture of a lot of psychic things going on -- monsters dealing psychic damage, psychic messages from beyond. We still didn't know what the connection or the meaning was -- our quest to find out about Alyxian was still far short of completion. We did some experimentation with the ruidium in our possession, but didn't find out much, save that the ruidium seems to be "rubbing off" when handling it too much, as if the ruidium were seeping into our bodies. So far, Bumi seems to be the only one affected by this. But it seems ruidium has benefits and drawbacks.

We went back to the Sunken Tavern and removed the curse from Olara. She was greatly surprised to realize that she'd been down here for centuries. We offered to show her the new world, in exchange for hearing about Alyxian/Apotheon, who was blessed by the three gods to perform a task for them.

"The host gathered to defend the city against the betrayer gods let by Gruumsh. A cataclysmic light and sound," and she remembered little after that.

She also said Alyxian seemed "doomed," which tallied with the emotions of the visions we'd been having.

She remembered the ruidium, saying that Consortium folks had been seen carrying it over the last year. (We also discussed the idea that the ruidium has a relationship with one of the moons, which is why it's called ruidium after the similarly-named moon.)

We left her, promising to return, to go back to our search for the lost researcher, one Galeokaerda, a high elf professor of ancient literature.

We found a big hole! Amid the ruins of a sunken palace is a gaping rift that pulsates with sickly red light. Black energy swirling with oily colors shimmers and hisses inside the opening of the rift. Glowing spines of ruidium sprout from its edges, forming a jagged, partially intact dome around the space.

Ack! An aboleth! All shot through with ruidium, and a mutant second face stuck on the side of its abberrant head! Surrounded by a cloud of sticky mucus, it was just all kinds of yucky. It attacked!

For some reason, it had a second face growing out the side of its head -- a head which strangely reminded us of Alyxian!

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Blync heard a voice in his head: "My power was not enough. It will never be."

Rummaging around the ruins, we found a scroll of Teleport!

We took a guess as to which way the lost Elf went, and set off. We found a corpse of a shark, being eaten by scavenger fish. Something shiny in the carcass caught our eye -- a large jewelry box.

Oh no! The shark was actually undead and moved to attack us as we approached. We battled it and the scavenger fish.

For some reason, Senzei jumped on the shark's back and rode it.

We discovered that the ruidium weapons some of us had were particularly effective on the shark, and also allowed us to swim at our regular walking speed.

We found a strange tavern run by a blue elf, and bought some magical potions, but learned little, and none about the lost researcher we sought.

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In Ank'harel, still seeking the mystery of ruidium and the meaning of the visions of the long-ago war….

The factions -

Cobalt Soul (NOT Kobold Soul) - a magic-oriented group. Blue robes. Sheeza belongs to them. They are very interested in ruidium, and also worried about it.

Allegiance of the All-Sight - ostensibly allies of the Cobalt Soul. Interested in general learning and knowledge. Monopoly on access to Cael Morrow, the underwater/underground city under Ank'harel. Our "rival" adventuring group are allied to this group.

Consortium of the Vermillion Dream - Red robes. Aloysia was one of these. They've been hostile to us. More interested in profit and power. A shadowy group.

Hands of Ord - the official police force of the city.

The Veil - instrumental in the cultists of Zahir plot - the thieves guild

Sentinels of Memory - working with the Consortium. Don't want anyone getting into Cael Morrow. Not much known about them.

Another tournament! Senzei faced off against a goblinoid sort of fellow with a ruidium-infused hammer. He failed, quite ignominiously, and those of us that wagered on him lost our money.

A message from the Cobalt Soul - the high curator wished to speak with us. The Allegiance has decided to give us access to Cael Morrow. We need to get the key to get from Cael Morrow to the "Netherdeep" -- the source of the ruidium.

"Insight" Acurere - our Allegiance contact. We were asked to earn her trust and find out from her what the key is and how to get into the Netherdeep.

We went to the guarded opening to Cael Morrow! The hired guards checked our passes received from the curator and we passed down the spiral staircase -- the "Maw" of Cael Morrow going down 500 feet.

We were taken to the "base camp" and met "Insight" the researcher. Along the way, Bumi received a message. Something about Alyxian "burning the world if I cannot live"??

We helped "Insight" with some various errands -- apparently she was very short-handed. One of her companions (an elf) was lost, although apparently she wasn't too worried about it, one Galeokaerda, a high elf professor of ancient literature.

We found reference to "Apotheon" - an ancient Elvish word comparable in some way to Alyxian (perhaps even identical?).

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In Ank'harel, still seeking the mystery of ruidium and the meaning of the visions of the long-ago war….

We found ourselves in possession of the Lash of Shadows (a weapon of the Betrayer Gods) and an airship!

We went to confer with the high coordinator of the Cobalt Soul. Ruidium comes from the underwater city deep beneath Ank'harel. He wanted us to infiltrate the Consortium to see what they know about the ruidium.

Seated at the wide table is a young man no older than thirty, with brown skin and hazel eyes. His white robes are adorned with blue designs.

He smiles warmly as you enter. “Please, shut the door behind you,” he says, closing the book in front of him. “I am High Curator Jamil A’alithiya, and I’ve heard much about you."
“We know that the Consortium of the Vermilion Dream is experimenting with a red substance its leaders call ruidium. Rumor has it the substance comes from the ruins of Cael Morrow, the underwater city beneath Ank’Harel."

“I’m worried that the Consortium is tampering with powers beyond its control. That is why I would like you to infiltrate the Consortium’s headquarters—a tavern called First Eclipse—and find out anything you can about its research on ruidium. If you happen to come across any magic items in the Consortium’s possession, please confiscate them and bring them to our temple for examination and safekeeping.”

The place we wanted was called "The First Eclipse" -- a bar in an eastern district. We argued a bit among ourselves about how to approach this assignment.

As we approached, we found two crystalline elephants -- made of ruidium! -- trumpeting and acting all berserk! We attacked. The "elephants" reverted to small things once defeated, the first one to a figurine and the other to ruidium dust.

We tracked the destructive path of the elephants to the very tavern we were seeking -- "The First Eclipse." The tabaxi barkeep attempted to give us the brush off but we insisted on asking about the elephants. Sheeza magically charmed him, and our questioning continued. The "barkeep" -- really an operative of the Consortium -- summoned others and combat ensued. A rather confused melee occurred, and we captured several.

We found this ominous note:

Master Khelkur,

Our attempts to gain access to the rift have been disastrous. An aboleth haunts the Drowned City. It slaughtered all but one member of our last expedition. The creature calls itself Alyxian—certainly not an aboleth name, but not one I am familiar with either. But know this: Cael Morrow is where we must focus our efforts, lest the Allegiance of Allsight claim the only known source of ruidium for itself.

Our key to the rift is lost, but we have a spy in the Drowned City searching for it. Meanwhile, we have decided to secure a new headquarters. Please see that First Eclipse is cleared out—and quickly—before the Hands of Ord search the place.

Humbly,

Master Dendarron

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On board the "Wind-Runner" -- the airship we commandeered. Supposedly Borssk was supposed to deliver the "Lash of Shadows" to Lady Adaline on this ship, but we stopped Borssk and were now in command of the airship.

We heard commotion on the streets below. Guards were about. We could hear the clash of arms! We decided the Lady Adaline was probably behind it all and determined to pay her a visit.

We found who we assumed to be Lady Adaline and a bunch of Yuan-Ti cultists. She ordered her minions to "get us!" As the fight began, for some reason the rugs in the room began to attack us.

Apparently Lady Adaline was a Medusa! I suppose we could have guessed that from the petrified victim/statues decorating her front lawn.

But, we overpowered her and her thugs, thus bringing an end to the plot to bring back the cult of Zahir.

The city was so grateful they let us keep the airship!

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As we were walking the streets, we heard alarms! A prison break!

We decided to intervene. We successfully destroyed several of the escapting Yuan-Ti cultists but one, Borsk, the largest, escaped down a drain.

We found a note on one of the bodies from one Eskisian - the note was instructions to break out the cultists because cult activity (the Cult of Zakhir) was increasing and they were needed.

We decided to pursue the escapee down the sewer. But first we had to go to the escapees' cells and talk to a snake. It claimed its master was one "Adaline" and that it was a messenger. It mentioned something about an airship -- the "Windrunner" -- docked here in town.

I tried speaking to a Yuan-Ti woman and child (there seemed to be a whole village down here) but at the mention of the name "Borsk" she stopped communicating and fled.

We continued our exploration of the sewer.

We found Borsk! And a couple of his buddies. Borsk carried a snake-headed whip of many strands, which Bell-Cry identified as one of the artifacts of the Betrayer!

PART 2

We found Borssk! And a couple of his buddies. Borssk carried a snake-headed whip of many strands, which Bell-Cry identified as one of the artifacts of the Betrayer! The "Lash of Shadows."

Combat ensued! Borssk went down fairly easily, all things considered. I confiscated the whip.

Senzei spoke with the whip, which had the personality of a demon locked within it. It said it was to be taken to the airship, the same one we'd heard of before.

We climbed aboard and had a somewhat confused conversation with the crew. The captain was hostile and wanted us to leave, but did not immediately attack to kill. But things quickly turned more serious, and somehow a swarm of snakes was summoned to deal with us! We dealt with the crew, discovered documents proving the ship was owned by Lady Adaline.