Session 3

As you discuss what to do next, you're joined by an acquaintance of Keech's—the fighter Malcis [Phil], a member of the Fifty Phoenixes gang. Brother Simon takes the opportunity to head back to the House of Memory; the tiefling ruins beneath the city have given him some ideas for further research that may be of assistance.

The rest of you decide to open the cleverly disguised hatch… at which point some unseen thing gets out. Malcis hits it with a flame bolt, but no one actually sees what it is and a subsequent search reveals no evidence that it’s still around.

Nothing to be done about it, so you go down the shaft (along with Johana) into a lower section of ruins, where Odysseus picks up faint tracks which lead the way through a series of corridors and chambers that suggest some kind of temple complex. After reaching what was once the main receiving hall, you check the inner chamber across from the main doors (which are impassable due to cave-ins on the opposite side). Malcis goes first, slipping through an opening between the cracked inner chamber doors.

Inside is a large nave, mostly open but with a statue at the far end. Then a couple more cinder sprites pop up and attack! There's a bit of a scramble as the rest of you get inside to aid Malcis. In the process of defeating the cinder sprites, you also face some bizarre humanoid creature that hisses “Leave or you shall perish!” It flees after a brief fight [because you guys’re knocking the ever-loving stuffing out of it], though not before its touch takes down Odysseus and leaves him weakened even after he receives healing. Barrax discovers some strange glittery residue where Odysseus was hit, then sees similar residue all over the walls and ceiling of this chamber (though not on the statue).

Johana admits that the creature is probably Marius, though she has no idea what’s happened to him. She’s pretty depressed about it. You head back up, though not before taking valuables that the Marius-thing had previously gathered up at the base of the statue.

Speaking of, the statue is of Andraka, the tiefling aspect of the goddess of night and secrets (Itaska is the Kilkorinite aspect of the same goddess). It’s made of iron and inlaid with a shit ton of precious metals and gems. Incredibly valuable, but too massive for you to remove.

You get back up to the storehouse and hand off the treasure to Johana, who agrees to share a cut of the findings. She heads off with Hedel to fence the stuff while Ruben and Tram (the halfling) stay in the storehouse office—claim jumping is a thing, so relic hunters often camp out at their claims. It's too late and you're a bit battered to head all the way home this evening, so you find a neighborhood hostel a couple blocks away to rest up and plan [and level up to level 2 (yay!)].

In the pre-dawn, you awaken to shouts and splintering wood. You realize a Tvordal occupation squad is rousting locals and gathering them in a small courtyard outside the hostel. Then you hear the hostel’s front door crash in.…