User blog:MMetzner/Session 17 - Path to Sacred Place (Part 1)

Recap:

''As the Guardians continued their voyage towards the Tabaxi island of Growing Shower they rested for the night on the island of Silverstreams, here Ronan and Gauner introduced themselves to the Jarl Elifrith disguised as merchants Tartulio & Hosmith, and learned that the waters surrounding Brightwater Peak, the main source of fresh water for the islands of the bay, were being blockaded by the Kraken’s Oarsmen led by Randyll Redbeard. Elifrith offered a bounty of 1,000 gold pieces if the Guardians of Hogstone could defeat him.''

''Continuing, they sailed to the point on their Vasco Magelos map where an X had been marked, diving down they came across strange marking on a cave wall, which Gauner translated as ‘Treasures of the Cuevo D’oro’ - a pirate hoard of great renown. Next to this was a small indentation, the size of a fist. The Guardians tried various methods but couldn’t find anything to work. As they opened the map, fully submerged underwater they saw two points light up in gold on the map, one in the Burned Lands to the South, and one upon the top of Brightwater Peak.''

''Back on their journey towards Growing Shower, they made the notorious crossing through Pirates’ Pass. After refusing to hand over a tax and any maps for inspection, Maiya flew directly at two guards on a bridge above them, knocking them into the ocean. A brief but chaotic battle ensued, with Farrus characteristically finding the throats of several guards with his arrows, and ending when Ronan cast Thunder Step to escape the grapple of two of the guards, managing to explode them both in the process before appearing in front of Maiya, with eyes pure black, on the prow of the ship. Horrified and remembering the same black eyes she had seen in the undead creatures they had fought, Maiya pounced on Ronan, grappling her to the floor and demanding answers. After a command spell from the pirate, intervention by Kyanna and a heartfelt plea from the boy Gauner, Maiya calmed, and the group were able to have a conversation, but considerable tension remained as the group left returned to the Proud Pelt and sailed out of Pirate’s Pass.''

Growing Shower
Before leaving Pirate's Pass, the Guardians weighed up the pros and cons of leaving the structure standing, they decided that the strategic position would only attract more raiders or pirates and that burning the platforms would at least slow down any potential future residents.

The group sailed on for 2 hours through an increasingly heavy bout of tropical rain before reaching the shores of the eastern coast of Growing Shower. The air was rich with the smells of exotic spices and fresh fish as they pulled into a mooring point. Some of the Guardians could sense an unease from the Tabaxi that were shopping in the nearby market, but one Tabaxi, a merchant named Lighter of Ways, approached them, selling them a map of the island, giving them directions to Razza al Haq, and introducing them to her plump cub, Too Many Plums, to whom Gauner gave a gold piece which Lighter of Ways quickly liberated from him.

After a short walk, the group shopped in the stalls at Market for All, buying nutmeg, cloves and saffron, as well as several bottles of spiced wines before speaking to Born in Stable, a tabaxi who rears donkeys specifically for transport across the island. They hired donkeys and began the long journey up towards Tower of Learning, with Kyanna regretting her decision to drink wine before getting on the donkey. Reaching the Tower of Learning, the group entered the unlocked building to find a man bearing a resemblance to Mannaphi nursing a bruised face and black eye. Cautiously, wanting to believe the group was who he hoped they were, he asked them to repeat a strange phrase that signed off their previous message. Farrus and Kyanna recalled using the phrase 'Buy fruit when like' which eased the man's suspicion. He then introduced himself as Razza al Haq. Gifted Hand's apprentice. When asked about his injuries he told the Guardians that Mutt Clan soldiers had been on the island, had beaten him for a day and a night trying to gain Gifted Hand's whereabouts, which Razza did not give up, before leaving abruptly the previous morning after having received a letter. When asked why the Mutts were looking for Gifted Hand, Razza put forward the theory that it was likely for the same reason others seek out the Tabaxi Cleric, for his ability to resurrect the dead. However he did not know why they left so abruptly.

Razza then leaned in close, and gave the Guardians the location of Gifted Hand so that they could seek him out. A cave system the ancient Tabaxi called 'Path to Sacred Place', on an island in the Hidden Lands north of the main Tabaxi islands. He told them the entrance would be marked with the shape of a paw. While marking on Ronan's map, Razza mentioned that the Mutts were looking for a map exactly like this, bearing Magelos' mark. He asked them if they knew what they had in their possession. Farrus returned that they were great heroes, which Razza had little reason to doubt. Getting up, he walked to one of the tower's dusty bookshelves and returned, blowing the dust off of a book titled 'The Voyages of Magelos: Volume 2', giving it Kyanna. Maiya asked if there was any special phrase or piece of information they could give to Gifted Hand to prove to him that they had been sent by Razza, to which he pulled a small amulet from his desk drawer, telling Maiya that it was presented to him by Gifted Hand when he began training, and that it was unique to him. Razza offered the group beds to stay in for the evening, and mentioned that the small camping settlement 'Hunt for Food' also had tents available. The group opted for the latter, except for Maiya who decided to stick around.

Maiya, having taken an interest in the college, began asking questions to Razza about the sorts of things that they were being taught. Razza explained that mainly he wanted to help people. By way of demonstration he placed an empty goblet in front of Maiya, and with a wave of his hand was able to have the goblet fill with cool water. Maiya asked how he was able to learn these spells, to which Razza replied that it was through his god, Astraea, along with faith and practice. Maiya asked to learn more about Astraea, and Razza duly obliged, telling her that she was a Goddess of light, of healing and of compassion. Maiya began opening up to Razza about her visions, with the cleric looking more and more intrigued. Finally he spoke up, telling Maiya that it sounded like what he was describing was the Sister Gods, Astraea and Morrigen, that while Astraea was the Goddess of Light, Morrigen sought to tempt creatures with unimaginable power, so that she could eventually use that power to take on a corporeal form. When Maiya told Razza that she had experienced auditory visions that matched this description, Razza surmised that Maiya must indeed be, as he had read in prophecy, 'The Conduit'. Someone to whom the Sister Gods could communicate with. He also told her that the prophecy stated that devotion to Astraea would quell the visions sent by Morrigen, and vice versa. Maiya asked if there was anything she could take to read more on the subjects, with Razza presenting her with a book entitled The Blessings of Astraea. Maiya thanked Razza profusely for his help in explaining things to her before leaving the Tower to join her group at Hunt for Food. Having reached Hunt for Food, Ronan immediately joined a group of tabaxi sat around a fire, with the seated hunters welcoming the pirate to join them. Together they told stories of adventures past, played drinking games and then Liar's Dice, where Ronan's use of an illusion to cheat victory from an overly trusting Tabaxi earned her the moniker 'Roller of Dice'. As the group in turn went to their tents for rest, Kyanna took 'The Voyages of Magelos - Volume 1 to read overnight.

October 4th, 420
In the morning, Kyanna gathered the group, to tell them about information she had learned in the first volume of the Tales of Magelos. Magelos had written that to open the cave they would need a diamond from a mine in the Burned Lands, to be bathed in the water at the top of Brightwater Peak. The first volume concluded with this information, and with Magelos setting off on his journey. After briefly discussing whether to abandon their quest to find Gifted Hand in search of faraway treasure, the group decided to stick to the original plan, and set off towards the Hidden Lands and Path to Sacred Place.

Path to Sacred Place
The Guardians reached the island after a couple of hours on the Proud Pelt. Searching the desolate and windswept isle they came across the cave with a paw marked by a stone, but the stone had been rolled away, and the entrance left wide open. As the group entered the dank cave they immediately encountered 2 bodies on the cave floor, investigating them they found red kraken symbols on the shoulders of their leather armor. As they turned to look down a pitch black corridor, a skittering sound rushed out of the blackness towards them, revealing itself as a giant scorpion. Immediately lunging itself at Ronan, it plunged its stinger at her. Gauner acrobatically ran along the wall, landing behind the creature and stabbing it as Kyanna began ripping at it with savage attacks. Gauner sliced at the beasts tail, hacking off its stinger before landing the killing blow in its belly.

Rounding the darkened corridors of the cave, they came across a series of boulders that reached the low ceiling, as well as a red banded lever. Kyanna transformed into a mouse to investigate further ahead, finding a small opening behind one of the boulders that the rest of the group couldn't reach. Unable to resist the temptation, Gauner pulled the red-banded lever, and the group heard the sound of a mechanism turning but with no visible change happening in the room. Maiya approached one of the boulders, attempting but not able to pull it toward her before realising that she did have the strength to push it. Farrus quickly realised that by pushing several boulders in succession, he could open up a path to the small opening that Kyanna had uncovered. The group followed.

Dropping into into a sewer system of about 4ft in each direction, the group felt water up to their waists. As Maiya, the last of the group to enter, dropped in, a door slammed shut behind her. an Echo of clicks could be heard underneath the water, emanating firstly from directly beneath them, and snaking off into the dark distance. Then the group sensed that the water was beginning to get warmer. Starting to panic, the group trudged their way down the dark sewers, getting in each others' way as they felt the water continue to heat beneath them. Having been hurt by the waters increasing temperature, Kyanna was forced to revert to her elven form, while Gauner repeatedly tried to jump out of the water and use his hands and feet to wedge himself above the water. With each second that passed, the Guardians grew weaker, and as the temperature kept increasing, they were left in literal hot water...

To be continued...