Party
- Bran — Dwarf Barbarian (Dave)
- Ethan — Elf Wizard (Hag)
- Slyvestor III — Halfling Warlock/Rogue (Bear)
- Tenoch — Lizardfolk Druid/Barbarian (Gaz)
Adventure
As the creatures close in on the the lantern and the occupants of its light the party scramble to respond to attacks from all sides. The first blows are traded and it looks like the creatures, with their paralysing touch, might best the party. But the heroes fall in and utilise their magic and clever tactics to win the bout.
Bran is delerious with excitement after the fight, drinking in the adulation of his imagined crowd – somewhat enhanced my Slyvestor’s illusion magic – he calls “see you later fans” as the party continue into the caverns of the Abductor.
Having passed through the room filled with bones and remnants of all kinds of creatures the party find the tunnel forks and in investigating which path to take they find the tracks of many heavily robed and slight of frame humanoid creatures having passed all ways through the tunnel, including the cave full of bones and corpses.
Opting to take the path left Bran takes the lead and strides into cave where part of the ceiling is lower and reposed bodies lay upon hay beneath. He spots barrels and crates and rationalises (in his delusion) that this must be weapons for the gladiatorial fight ahead, yet upon opening a barrel the party find only grain.
Six heavily robed, short humanoids wearing cowls low over their faces, from beneath which long hooked noses can be seen, approach the party from out of the darkness. With weapons at the ready Slyvestor uses the telepathic ability his patron granted him to speak with the creatures. The party tell them they are here to vanquish a creature who has been abducting people. Slyvestor begins to retreat when one of the creatures replies “Surely you do not mean our Lord” but reengages and suggests that he’s here to join them in worship and that he has brought the others as an offering. The creatures insist they take the party to the pious one.
As they travel through the tunnels Tenoch tells Bran “This place is weighing down on all of us, it can’t weigh down on you. You’re the one who’s going to get us through this. We need you to be on your A game.”. A sentiment with which Bran agrees, feeling he is on his optimal game…
The party are lead into a long cave. Piles of discarded and mundane appearing belongings; weapons, armour, clothes, equipment of all sorts crowd the walls. Bran stops to retrieve an old worn weapon of unfamiliar workmanship, tossing another to Tenoch and Slyvestor, before rejoining the party as they move past bookshelves, tables and other furniture displaying similar artefacts. Many more of the heavily robed creatures are within the cave curating the objects of display.
Half-way through the room changes to several rows of long benches facing a raised stage upon which sits a lectern. Behind the lectern on the back wall of the cave is a boarded up tunnel. Upon the stage are several more of the robed creatures circled around one who wears boiled leather shoulder guards over her robes, seemingly a badge of office. The six escorting the party head up and Slyvestor is introduced to Zerkis. He restates his intent to join the creatures and hand over his companions as tribute, requesting that he be permitted to see their lord as soon as possible.
Slyvestor convinces Zerkis to show him where the tributes are given and informs the party that they should make a show of slowly disarming themselves whilst he finds the Abductor. Ethan takes umbrage with this course of action and announces a plan to try and convince the supplicants that their lord is returning and that he can lead them to it.
Grasping the Gloam Dowse he makes a show of attempting to locate the Abductor. When the Dowse isn’t working he bluffs and points at the boarded up passage.
As the unconvinced Zerkis becomes outraged and Slyvestor tries to calm things and resume his plan Tenoch asks Bran “which pony are you betting on?”.
Assuming they can’t be understood Ethan shares his plan with the party in the common tongue; he wants to find a crossing, send the creatures through it and close the crossing behind them as there are too many to fight.
As the Supplicant’s become increasingly irate, the curators in the room having all gathered to observe the commotion, and Slyvestor’s demands to the party to fall in line are not adhered to he begins retreating back towards the party stating that “I’m afraid this situation has come to a head, we really must kill them all!”
As weapons are drawn Bran is pleased; “the crowd are getting restless”