The party, a bit stunned, decides to investigate the remaining doors in the tomb complex, finding some magical items of wonderment, two chained and animated skeletons, a suite of abandoned rooms, most likely living quarters, and an enormous room, with odd purple lighting, covered in fungus, and an odd compost heap (a giant one, too - complete with entire logs) in the middle of the room.
Our intrepid band wants nothing to do with this, shutting, locking, and arcane-locking the door on their way out. Then back upstairs, where the survivors were all also touched by Aelaephixia in the same ways as our party... Both Kyrie and the captured priest are catatonic, and will not emerge from whatever dark place their thoughts have run to for the rest of our adventure.
It is discovered that everyone in the complex - not just those in the room with Aelaephixia - have been given a connection to the goddess, all in the same way.
Conversations are had, trust is hesitantly given, and plans are made. First our noble heroes journey farther inside the mountain to see the lake of fire, which is beautiful and majestic - the cave is enormous, the actual lake is majestic, with the occasional bubble of lava bursting into the chamber, and hypnotic heat ripples wave through the room, and what seem like motes of burning ash turn into hand-sized dragonfly-looking 'creatures' that appear to be made of raw lava. One approaches the party, appearing to study them, before rejoining it's fellows in a dance over the magma.
The party is initially dismayed that they are unable to approach closer than 25 feet or so to the lava. But, of course, they find a way to urinate in the lava lake, using the barbarian's rage and the wizard's prestidigitation spell. Because there's majestic beauty of nature, and then there's adventurers and their ways.
Back to the complex to gather their forces, our party and mercenaries and etc head back out into the world. As they emerge from the caverns, they start feeling a... compulsion, or an... itch - something, drawing them to four other places in the world, places like this one, tombs or resting places for other gods:
- West of Spoek, near the border between Atlea and Zendar
- Outside of Coriander in the Black Swamp
- down between the Empress and Basalt in Vallea
- In the city of Joven
It is weird, and a bit off-putting, and our band looks at each other, bonding over their shared horror. Over the next couple of days the Mercenary captain wakes up and goes through some awesome WTF moments, then he and Cimbri declare their mutual beef which they will put off until they reach Joven. The theives also wish to head to Joven, not seeing Lucius, their contact in Bai.
So onward to Bai! Our merry band heads to Lucius Johniah's office, there to gather information regarding the men who were guarding Aelaephixia's tomb. Lucius appears to be agreeable, but points out that he is the executor of the contract, and as stated the mercenaries, since they did not complete their terms of service, were not eligable for full pay or bonuses. This annoys our band, who, in an escalating series of gambits:
- Order Lucius to provide money for the mercenaries
- Order Lucius to violate the terms of the contract
- Order Lucius to provide any and all documents regarding the mercenaries, which he does
- Become angered when other documents relating to the financial arrangements (but not directly to the mercenaries) are not forthcoming
- Arrest Lucius under suspicion of blasphemy and sedition
- Refuse to provide Lucius with his attorney during questioning
- Go through Lucius' safe, reading sealed documents
- Bind, gag, and hood Lucius and drag him outside to the tard-cart
All in all, it's business as usual for our band.
As they leave the city, the party is met by Brett Aingtar, the Captain of the Bai Guard, and asked to come back to the Militia House for a conversation; he reveals that Lucius is the subject of an ongoing, careful, and very legal investigation, so his arrest might not be what's best for all concerned. Revealing their connection to the Emperor and that Lucius might know about the Great Evil Things in the world does not seem to sway him; revealing that 'someone' went through his safe, and that in the course of investigating that break-in many papers might be found and read, does. Brett provides the party three carts pulled by three fast teams of horses - and on to Joven!
At this point, to recap, we have AofEk, Cimbri, and Horace, plus Durim (still incapacitated from delicious grapes). Additionally, the four militia men picked up in Amber are along for what is turning out to be quite a more exciting adventure than was originally planned. Along with them are James, a priest who is struggling (and mostly succeeding) to make sense and process what has happened, another priest of Joven (Kylie) who is horribly burnt and catatonic, and another priest (Francis DeTone) - also catatonic. The mercenary captain (Angus) and his three mercs are along - Angus bides his time before he can fight Cimbri, and the three mercenaries are fairly puzzled but generally happy with the course of events. The two thieves Joline and Chet also tag along to Joven - they were headed there anyway. Finally, the prisoner Lucius Johniah accompanies with poor grace our noble band.
The party is met on the outskirts of Joven by Major Rex Tomboulien, accompanied by a couple of lawyers, 10 militia members, and another 10 or so men-at-arms. A tense moment is had until the party identifies themselves as the Emperor's men, so Rex accompanies them to Milosh's house. Milosh and Lucius are apparently old friends, unfortunately, but Emperor Milosh congratulates the party on performing their duties (stir shit up, and get a feel for what's going on in the Empire). James is a bit star-struck to be in the presence of such an August person as the Emperor, and tells him in a rush the heart of what has happened so far. Milosh invites James to stay in his guest house (with the catatonic priests) before meeting with the high priest, and invites the party back for breakfast - he'll talk to Lucius and smooth everything over with his friend that night.
As they leave Milosh's house, the party realizes that the pull they feel in Joven is coming from one of the graveyards in the city - and as they approach, that they're drawn towards one of the mausoleums in the back of the graveyard. They go up to the door of the structure and see a chain and an unlocked lock, and the gate swinging open, and remember that there are at least 9 other people in town who also felt the pull....
Exciting times, again!
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