Sixty-Fourth Session - the Dead City

Session resumes with the Keepers still travelling in Harold’s boat. Ishaq’s sneakerscope awakens, notifying the party that they are being Scryed upon. They discuss who it could be - Tristan? Cyrus? Ayleen? The scrying ends without them settling on an archenemy.

Markoris spots a ruined pillar peeking through the trees. Harold confirms it’s the Temple. Max ‘suggests’ Alana scout it out, and she turns into a Gray Parrot to take a look, observing several small, strange furry creatures in the trees, each with a head shaped like an enormous eye.

Harold says they're 'the Watchers'. They’re generally not dangerous, and can show images of what they've seen. Ishaq suggests asking the Watchers about the person who came before them, and uses Disguise Self to appear as a light-haired human man, to make sure the Watchers can’t report him to any followers.

The party approaches the pillar and the Watchers. Alana casts Speak with Animals and greets them, while Max holds back Fightyclaws from mischief. The Watchers start blinking rapidly in synchronization, black to white screen, chattering before one of them is kicked off the tree to interact with the party

Alana: introduces herself and asks for help. The Watcher projects her face at her with its screen-head, and speaks through the image. Alana asks for information on the last party that visited the lost city. The Watcher consults with its people, then they offer to trade information in exchange for killing ‘Bigfoot’, a creature with ‘big feet, many heads’ that comes when heartblood is spilt.

The party initially believes the information is worth the detour, but changes their tune in a hurry when the Watchers show a horrifying image of Bigfoot, which appears to be a dinosaur with hundreds of serpentine heads. Alana tells the Watchers they'll fight Bigfoot if they encounter it, but are going to continue on now that the storm is done.

The party tips Harold generously to keep silent about their presence. He says the Keepers can signal him for pickup with a red cloth when they’re ready to go back, then departs.

Ishaq investigates the well of the ruined temple, which seems very deep and dark. Markoris finds an open doorway partially blocked by a tree root. Max deploys Fightyclaws on a scouting mission - he returns alive and with rats. Poking his head in, Max realizes the building was a priest’s office, and holds no secrets, although it seems someone has camped there recently.

Meanwhile, Ishaq deduces that the stone ring looming over the well will channel sunlight into the hole every summer solstice. He uses the Driftglobe to cast Dawn through the ring, sparking a spike of arcane energy. The well starts glowing.

The well appears to be the only way forward, so the party lowers Markoris down with 100 feet of rope. He finds a pool at the bottom with coins in it, and a sewer grate exit. The rest of the Keepers come down without incident, except for Ishaq falling in the pool. He discovers it’s enchanted with healing magic, and the party gets some free Greater Healing Potions from filling empty flasks with the liquid.

After Max pries open the grate, the party proceeds into a sewer. A Perception check by Ishaq reveals nothing amiss. Alana and Markoris notice shafts heading upward in some dead ends - probably storm drains from old buildings. Celia rolls Survival at advantage, and finds a rickety ladder upwards.

The ladder leads to MUMMIFIED BODIES and a lot of grave goods arrayed in front of an immense stone door. The party ascends, but the ladder breaks while Alana’s climbing and she takes some bludgeoning damage before turning into a bird to fly up. The party agrees to leave the loot alone, as it’s probably cursed. Markoris finds a destroyed mechanism for the gate and a place to put a hand. Celia finds the gold is all pre-Raith currency - also crystal cats, horse statues.

Ishaq recognizes the coins and shield are decorated with an old symbol of LOTLE: star with three flowing lines beneath it, representing Her river. The shield seems magical, but also made specifically for burial. He sees Runes in Celestial that outline the incantation that will seal/unseal the room. After some trial and error, Max and Ishaq recite the incantation together to open the door.

The party enters a truly immense underground cavern dominated by structures wrought on a colossal scale. This is the City of the Dead. And they have no idea where to go next.

Celia tries to use Sending to contact Tristan, but gets a wrong number. Ishaq then just starts yelling into the darkness - a greenish glow awakens and lights the vista around them. They see areas of the cavern connected by tightropes, and Celia realizes they must have been recently set up. The nearest one connects to a structure almost 700 feet away. Ishaq has never seen this kind of magic before (the green glow) - it’s inherent to the stone itself. Alana realizes there is *nothing* living in this cavern, not even a bug.

Markoris sees a strange smashed egglike device below, 20 feet down. Max holds the rope as Markoris climbs down to investigate, and finds some kind of winged flying vehicle, crumpled up, engineering far in advance of any civilization in Raith. The craft is oddly light, and Max is able to pull it up after Markoris ties a rope around it.

Ishaq does an Arcana check to realize this is a magical device crafted out of something like stone or glass, not just metal. The party sets about repairing the one-person craft. Celia casts Mending on the wings, popping them into shape. Their colour changes, green light matches that shining in the cavern. Max identifies areas where the wings connect, which appear to be charged with arcane power. Ishaq finds some buttons and pushes a red one, establishing it turns the thing on and off.

Markoris volunteers to pilot the device. Celia casts Death Ward on him to be safe. Max tries to hammer out the dents in the chassis but doesn’t do very well. He gives Markoris the bird enchanted skull that lets him add a d4 to an ability check. Ishaq tells Markoris goodbye, and then the device takes off.

NATURAL 20 - Markoris is a natural pilot! He figures out how to maneuver around the cavern without trouble. While Markoris explores, the rest of the party takes a Short Rest so Alana gets Wild Shape back.

Markoris discovers alcoves and landing pads for these craft in the walls across the chasm. He tries to figure out how to land - NATURAL ONE. He takes 11 bludgeoning damage as he crash-lands, snapping off one of the wings, another crumples. Recovering from impact, he sees an ashen silhouette on a nearby wall - reminiscent of a nuclear shadow. He also finds glowing ladders built into the stone and a couple doors.

Climbing down one of the ladders, Markoris finds one of those tightrope ladders on the ledge, secured with a grappling hook. The stone is marked and there’s also a ration box that is neither ancient nor empty. Markrois also finds a note box, with a letter written in Undercommon.

Rest completed, Alana turns back into her winged form and the party boards her for a new flight. They land where Markoris did, and almost as badly - 8 bludgeoning damage for everyone. Markoris points out the destroyed copter, then mentions he found a light inside. Everyone heads toward the light.

Alana also notices the weird blast marks/silhouettes on the walls - seems to be leftover from an unknown spell. Markoris shows Ishaq the Undercommon note - translates as "4 watch 2 guard 6 return", dated three days ago. Max recognizes the tactic as something Troublestab used before - communication between shifts of surveillance, but never in Undercommon. Cyrus' gang may be present. Max holds on to the note.

It’s currently around 9-10 at night. The party has no idea where to find Tristan in this immense location. Celia casts Commune.

COMMUNE TIME

1. Can you tell Tristan to meet us here? - Yes

2. Is Cyrus present in Marvosdunhum? -No/unsure

3. Are we still in danger from whatever caused these shadow stains? - Unsure

(Also, party members keep having to make WIS saves)

The Keepers bunk down to await Tristan. Max volunteers for watch - sees lights flying by outside, but nothing threatening. Raul replaces him, then Sol. After a long rest, Ishaq inspires everyone.

Celia sees a fire on a ledge 20 stories down, a waiting figure, 280 feet below. A Sending confirms this is in fact Tristan. Session ends with him beginning to climb a ladder to rendezvous with the party.