veryone woke to find Decimus deep in prayer, using his magic to commune with Heironeous. After asking a series of questions, Decimus was able to determine that Pelmora was a greatsword, and that it was, in fact, in the cave. Also, Decimus discerned that Jaren would not survive his battle with the supernatural illness that had befallen him, and finally that none of the seven stones were in the cave. After eating a quick breakfast, a disheartened Marcus rallied the group to press onward with Veral and Riff leading the way. Upon exploring the far western room, which contains nothing more than racks of rusted, disheveled weapons and a skeleton, Riff became fixated on something in the corner that the party could not see. Once Riff began floating in the middle of the room, it became apparent that something was amiss, and the party entered the room, only to have it shift appearance, much like the room the night before. Inside was an elven lady by the name of Brenella, who complemented Veral on Riff’s fine appearance. After being questioned by the fumbling diplomacy of Veral, it was discerned that Pelmora was with the king… and the king was at war on the Borderlands. After a short conversation, Decimus blurted out the truth of the woman’s existence… and she immediately became hostile, attacking the party. During the harrowing battle, Thorin is felled by a black arrow from the magical bow which the spectre wielded… but in the end, the party defeated Brenella’s spectre. While Marcus takes Thorin’s corpse to the “glyph room”, Decimus and Veral decide to search the chest that was discovered behind the skeleton. Finding a fireball trap, Decimus summons a celestial black bear to sacrifice itself and open the chest… triggering the trap. Upon opening the chest, and setting off the secondary bear trap, the bow wielded by Brenella, “Soulshot”, was found, as well as a golden dagger, along with the materials required to ressurect Thorin.
After resurrecting Thorin, the party decides to rest to allow the wizard time to recover his composure. During the night, Alicia arrives. Marcus meets her in the corridor leading to the glyph room, and inquires as to Jaren’s well being. Before collapsing into his arms, she says only that he is gone. She explains that she preserved his body, and placed him within’ the Mithril Spire of Old Tu’Banor. She hands over Jaren’s more noteworthy possessions, and announces that she must take her leave. Marcus questions her intentions, and she explains that she has been called by none other than Romlynn himself to the Draconic Nations. She says that he is currently working with Elendryl, Veral’s mistress’s brother, and that he has requested her assistance. Before leaving, she tosses another sack to Marcus with the remark, “This came to late…”. Upon inspection, it is, in fact, the Traveler’s Stone. Stricken with grief, Marcus unleashes the portal to allow his friends to feast upon the fruit of the “Tree of Life”, and to explain to Veral the overall situation. Inside is found another message stone, which projects an image of Romlynn, bearing an apologetic message. He apologized for having to deceive the party with his “death”, and also that he could not return the stone in time to save Jaren. He reaffirms Alicia’s prior comments, and orders the party to continue their search for the rest of the stones… claiming that a great evil is searching for them, and cannot be allowed to be successful in its search. After all was said and done, the party rested within the stone.
Upon waking in the morning, the party pressed on past an elaborately trapped door, only to find themselves trapped with a horde of spiders. Thorin, casting a fireball through the room to clear a path to the far hallway, awakens a gargantuan spider, which comes to the aid of its children. The party rushes to the far corridor, where they set up a defensive position. After a long battle, all of the spider’s young were vanquished, courtesy of Thorin’s magical prowess. Unfortunately, during the course of the battle, Thorin suffers a bite from one of the spiders… and falls paralyzed. After being gravely wounded, the mother spider retreats back to the depths of the cavern whence it came. The party continues on into what is known to be another spectre room… within which they find a hunched old woman, studying a book on the desk before her. After rambling off their story about being “traveling scholars and bards”, Marcus beseeches the old woman to do something for Thorin’s poison. After rummaging about, she finds the proper spell, and cleanses the venom from Thorin’s body. Rather than tell the old woman of her true existence, the party vacates the area, and takes another nights rest in the pocket dimension.
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