Recap[]
Day 115[]
Emerald Woods. The Demigods, Steel and Jeremiah continue on their way to Hoskar, Jeremiah's hometown. Jeremiah says he can remove the Continual Light spell cast on Emma's eyes when they get him home. The party get to the South-Western edge of the Emerald Woods. Steele spots a Pavilion Tent ahead of them.
Arcas and Adea go on ahead to investigate the tent. The centre of the tent is 15 foot tall with the edges being 10 foot tall, 30 feet wide. There is 1 guard outside and 1 priest.
The two Demigods tell the priest about the developments in the Emerald Woods, where Ironsides' army was disbanded. The priest tells the two Demigods they are building a temple, "The Hall of Gems". They tell the story that the Gods planted Sapphires in the ground and it formed the Silver Run River, the gods then added silver ore to the river to make it more reflective. The temple is to be dedicated to Nuruil the Goddess of Nature & Neutrality.
- (Note: Nuruil is the old name for Nadinis. Nuruil was changed because it sounded too similar to Nerual).
The Priest says they have a scroll, from the Dwarves to the South, to turn someone willingly into an Umberhulk, to help with construction of the temple. Since the party are Demigods, he thinks this scroll isn't fit for them, but he wonders if they can find a volunteer on their travels, to send them their way. Adea knows that Umberhulks are Chaotic Evil creatures, and wonder why one would help them, and the Priest says he would hope a transformed person would keep their identity, personality and demeanor, at least long enough for the grounds-works to be completed.
Arcas and Adea return to the rest of the party. Emma wonders if the Clerics there can remove the Continual Light cast on her. The party all head over to the tent. The Priest however says that most of the Priests here aren't Clerics, even so, the Continual Light spell is a Wizard Spell, and would need a wizard to remove. The Priest offers to turn Emma into an Umberhulk in-order to remove the Continual Light spell blindness, but Emma declines.
The party ride their horses away.
By the end of the day they arrive in Hoskar, population is a few thousand. Jeremiah leads the party over to his home, he talks about his assistant Wart who is grumpy, who should be maintaining things.
The party go inside the house and find Wart being intimidated by a Red Robed Wizard and 2 thugs with swords & shields. The Red Robed Wizard, in his 40s and short brown hair, brown eyes, and a staff with a golden claw at the top. Jeremiah says the Red Robed Wizard is Telepus, the leader of the Unshaken, the underground, and an old rival of Jeremiah. Telepus demands Jeremiah's spellbooks, when Jeremiah refuses, Telepus polymorphs him into a rat. The Thugs go to pickup Jeremiah, and the party defends their friend.
Telepus then casts invisibility on everyone in the room. Arcas rips the curtain off the wall and throws it over the area where the rat was, and shows the outline of one of the thugs. That thug gets out of the curtain and attacks Arcus with is club, breaking the invisibility effect. Steele tackles the visible thug.
Arcas tackles and crushes to death the other thug holding Jeremiah the Rat. Telepus invisibility grabs the rat and flees, then invisibility wears off everyone in the room. Adea tries using Cone of Fire on Telepus, but misses and sets the house on fire. Adea puts out some of the fire before trying to search for Telepus.
The fire spreads and the building catches on fire. The party flee the building, with Steele draging out the alive & unconscious Thug he had been fighting. Wart is woried about the fire spreading to the fire. Townsfolk start helping putting out the fire to make sure the fire doesn't spread too far.
The library has some damage, but is saved. The spellbooks are still hidden and Newt won't show the Demigods where they are, even if it is to cure Emma's eyes. Adea tries to lightly flirt with Newt, which sends him in a panic and he goes inside the library alone. Arcas goes to talk with Newt. Newt says that Sir Fafarack, the Landed Knight who owns the town, might have information on how to find Telepus. Newt also finds a book on Polymorphing.
It is Dusk when they arrive at the Manor House on top of an artificial hill. The manor itself is built of stone, and the doors are heavy oak. Adea requests and audience to a guard, who heads inside to check with the Knight. Soon afterwards they are escorted into the building. They are lead to Sir Fafarack, a 6'1" human with a brestplate, he has a stern face and narrow eyes and a frown, early 30s, short brown hair, brown eyes.
Sir Fafarack says he will look into Telepus and the "Unshaken", but asks the Demigods a favor in return. To head to his family crypt and to break the curse, and to retrieve his father's sword. The party agree. Sir Fafarack also propositions Adea, but she scoffs at that idea.
The party head out of town and reach the crypts after 20 minutes. It is evening when they arrive, and go to the nearest burial mound. Wart doesn't want to go, but Adea convinces him to come along.
- "Only those of a just heart may enter." speaks an echoey voice.
Adea puts her hand on the crypt door and it is icy cold to the touch. Adea is able to open the door and the party head inside, except Wart who stays outside to watch the horses.
The party enter the main chamber. There is a sarcophagus with two armed & armored stone statues standing on each side, for 4 total. Adea says a pray to Reluna, then Arcas careful opens the Sarcophagus.
- "You do not have a just heart." speaks an echoey voice.
The four statues come to life and 2 attack Arcas. One goes after Emma and it enters Emma's Wyvern Watch, paralysing it. Arcas and Steele (ac 18 with his shield, HP 18) attack the Golems directly, their swords seem to do little to the golems, so Arcas calls a retreat. They party manage to outrun the slow statues and leave the crypt.
Emma starts healing the party up.