Session 133: At last, the Font of Law

It is well into Day 20 of Harvester when we find that an old friend has decided to join us once again. As Feno, Arnd, Niki, Kyro, and I (Lhoss) contemplate whether we are full sick of trudging out to the barrowmaze, Armatzi strides up full of vigor to complete his long-assigned task of finding the Font of Law. It's an assignment that has buzzed in the back of our minds for weeks and months, but we have faltered, as of late, with any genuine motivation to get it done. Niki had a burst of inspiration from her deity just yesterday, but is already easily swayed by Feno's tantalizing description of a personal quest to find and defeat a displacer beast. Frankly, we all are interested in something new. There is also the pull to bring the temple some troll blood and a few tasks to be done in Hochoch. Arnd reasons, impressively so for a dwarf, that the guidance of Armatzi may be what we have been missing and we should utilize his righteous skills to locate the artifact while he is with us. We all decide this is wise and plan to set out early the next morning. Meanwhile, Zach returns to the inn and informs us that he has chosen to become an acolyte of Merikka and will perform two weeks of penance at the temple. He then expresses a strong desire to wipe out The Band of the Black Hand and liberate the underlings who had been enslaved like himself. The party agrees that this is a noble quest and adds it to the "to do" pile. The remainder of the night is spent eating a hearty dinner and listening to a bard sing about brave adventurers. I am awash in feelings of goodwill (and ale) as I nod along to the lyrics that mirror my own life and am joined by Feno, Dorian, and Llewelyn. Is there anything as glorious as the company of elves?

Early the next morning, we all set off. The weather is gorgeous and the first leg is pleasant enough, with greetings from the farmers in their fields. The mood is quashed as we enter the Dim Forest, though. It's always a gloomy place, but something feels off. More that usual, even. But we press on and emerge into the stinking barrow marsh. The main entrance, as we have come to call it, displays no oddities. There is no fragrant meal; in fact, even the mysterious table is gone. The chalk writing on the wall has been smeared with a hand  (or paw?). This place is wild. All the more reason to find the Font and be done with it.

Armatzi says a prayer to St. Cuthbert and indicates the Font is in some natural caverns. Luckily, we know just where to head to start searching. On the way we see some grayish-white powder trailed on the ground. The archway that had been emitting hot air has gone cool again, but is now covered with a mass of multi-colored mold. Niki shivers. Some teeth are seen scattered along a set of stairs, including humanoid teeth and one six-inch canine cuspid. A low moaning groan is heard in the distance and dies off. The obelisk covered in evil runes that we had destroyed is now intact. The rest of us had seen this, but Armatzi is stunned. He approaches it to investigate, and it... tracks him. He does not engage with it any further! Any one of these oddities might make a more cowardly soul turn back, but we all press on.

Entering the natural caverns, Armatzi declares the Font is near. Down a corridor, we see an amorphous golden blob trickling down a wall. It is quickly defeated and as Feno delivers the killing blow, the ochre jelly separates to reveal the partially digested remains of the cave fisher. I shiver.

We soon come upon a new room we haven't seen before. There are three stone statues of male warriors around a rough-hewn sarcophagus marked with dark runes. Armatzi is immediately on edge and casts detect magic, but the spell is unable to penetrate the stone. Suddenly, two of the barrow guardian statues animate and attack the party. They are quickly dispatched with and our attention is pulled to the sarcophagus. Armatzi pushes the lid aside and casts protection from evil on himself. Inside there is a glowing white orb. He hesitates; is this some trick? But as he approaches the orb, the air sweetens and he is filled with hope because he has finally found it. He has found the Font of Law! A strange alien noise sounds out twice but then dissipates. Armatzi grips the orb tightly and holds it slightly in front of him. It glows brighter as if it is guiding him. The mission is not yet complete.

Session 132: An Evolving Viewpoint and New Ally

Days 19 of Harvester

The Orlanian Heroes gathered around the unconscious body of the surviving member of the Black Hand party. Niki cast a healing spell on him to assist in binding his wounds, but his unconsciousness remained. Due to his unconsciousness, he was unaware of the charitable acts that some members of the party had taken, in response to the harsh actions that some had done when he was in a defenseless state.  He did feel the healing spell, nor was aware of the cleaner clothes being provided. The magically inclined members opted to use this time to memorize the spells they had used, while Arnd watched over the prisoner, ensuring that Chiki steered clear from him. Those that were not magical casters, or who had completed their memorizations quickly, went to work in the search of the nearby burial alcoves. The party finds a large, finely cut sapphire, an ivory demon idol, and decent amount of gold pieces that they split amongst themselves. Shortly after the searching and the memorizing, the body of unconscious prisoner begins to stir, and he awakens. After some brief questions, the party finds out his name: Zach Stone. He hears various options from Lhoss, and Arnd, but initially doubts their intentions. Through intense discussion that nearly broke down a few times, the group learns that most members join the Black Hand through kidnapping and intimidation. Chiki, the group member who initially caused Zach to fall unconscious, continued to antagonize the prisoner through hostile questions and actions. Feno, grown frustrated by Chiki chaotic escalation of the situation they found themselves in, struck him hard in the back of his Gnomish head with his palm. Because of Feno's excessive strength, this blow caused Chiki to wince in pain. Lhoss, hearing how Zach was forcibly pressed into the service of the Black Hand, is moved into offering him a position as a torch bearer for the party at a rate of 2 GP a day, new clothes to change into, and offers him a ration to eat as well. Seeing this charitable act causes Zach's eyes to swell with tears, and he tentatively agrees to the arrangement.  The group decides to head back to Orlane, and to put him in the back with Kyro, in order to put as much distance between him and Chiki as possible. Kyro, seeing his recent struggles, offers to untie him, and says that if he were walk next to him the whole time, he can remain untied the remainder of the trip according to his word. Zach of course agrees and Kyro removes his rope bindings. The group makes their way through the dusty passages of the barrow-maze with their new companion Zach in tow.  

As the party approaches the Dim Forest, they notice that Zach has been shielding his eyes from time to time from the sunlight. Lhoss begins gently asking why that it is, and he informs the party that he has been in the barrow-maze for a while, and he is having a hard time adjusting to outside light and freedom the group has given him. Lhoss continues to gently probe him about his previous life. He tells the group that shortly before being pressed into service into the Black Hand, he went into the Dim Forest and saw a glimpse of a white deer. Kyro is amazed by this, but others are unaffected by this, unaware of its significance. Zach furthers mentions he was once a follower of Merikka, but has fallen out of favor since joining the Black Hand. 

The group arrives in Orlane in the late evening, but still early enough for dinner. They arrive at the Foaming Mug for a delicious dinner being served. Lhoss and Kyro split the cost and ensure their new friend is taken care of, both with food, as well as bed and bath for the evening. They all gather around the tables of the tavern and enjoy the delicious food, especially Zach. He relaxes a bit and relays the troubles of his past and the inner workings of the Black Hand. He reveals that many members are charmed into service, while others are threatened into it. He also reveals that while the few upper leaders are truly evil, most of the members are pressed into service. The leaders send the members into the barrow-maze to look for and collect treasure for them, and if unsuccessful, the members lose their fingers. Lhoss, further moved by Zach's story, offers a heartfelt apology for those things that has befallen him. Chiki, on the other hand, in his usual chaotic fashion interupts and asks where he can go to further train his magical abilities. Arnd off-handedly mentions that Rainn, who lives here in Orlane usually trains the other magic users but is unsure if he will be willing to train Chiki. Following dinner, the group clean themselves up, and Zach really enjoys his bath, this being one of the first time his was given an opportunity in recent days to do so. Once scrubbed clean, and clean clothes put upon him, and with a large smile he gave Lhoss and Kyro each a large, warm hug of gratitude. Lhoss and Kyro both notice that Zach is quite a young man, barely reaching adulthood. Following dinner and conversations, the party head to their respective rooms for the evening. 

Day 20 of Harvester:

The group awakens to the usual amazing smells of breakfast, and Chiki decides to ask the owner of the Foaming Mug, Florian if he can cook breakfast for Zach with some eggs that were from his inventory. Florian agrees and says that the cook is more than willing to cook it if Chiki wants to provide the egg. Chiki looks into his backpack and discovers that it is overflowing with eggs. It appears that he hasn't been paying attention when his chicken has been laying eggs, and now his backpack is overflowing with eggs. Meanwhile, Niki, seeing her self-aware cat Jack, begins to argue with him. Jack, sniffs the clutch of eggs, determines which are good eggs, and which are spoiled. Feno, who had gotten up to get a start on the day, decides to sit down to watch this interesting show that is developing right in front of him.  Chiki starts talking to Florian about a business deal that doesn't make sense to the party, or to the owner, to donate eggs in exchange for storing them. Florian asks: "What exactly is being offered?"
Chiki responds with: "Let me paint you a picture..." Feno immediately tunes out and rolls his eyes. Chiki apparently wants the tavern to hold his good eggs, and he will collect an egg a day, (or so this is what the group thinks Chiki is talking about). Florian agrees to store the eggs. 

Following the breakfast drama, the group splits in a couple groups and heads in different directions in town. Feno, Lhoss and Niki head towards Dorian and Llewlyn (the resident elves of Orlane), while Gnorcia, hearing Chiki needed guidance took him to Rainn. Meanwhile, Kyro took Zach to meet the priests at the temple of Merikka. 

After a warm greeting, Dorian greeted Feno, Lhoss, and Niki and welcomed them inside. After exchanging pleasantries, Feno asked the elves about information a personal quest he is on locating displacer beasts. The elves tell them what they know, including where to find them, and what to expect, and they bid the party good luck with a traditional drink of elven spring wine.  Following this, the party members head towards store to meet up with the rest of the party.

Kyro, upon bringing Zach to the temple, speaks to lay members to help bring Zach back to the faithful. Zach is asked to follow an acolyte to a prayer room, where he is discussing his vision of the white deer and his feeling of Merikka, so he can assist in helping in what to do. 

After introducing Chiki to Rainn, Gnorcia leads him back to the group, and then goes back to her training. 

The Band of the Black Hand Loses for Once

By Arnd

We turned the corner and as Niki walked ahead, sweeping the floors for traps, she found herself face-to-face with a 10-legged creature—a pseuropod—that looked like a floating giant brain with a beak! It grasped her with two tentacles, paralyzing her, and pecked her with its beak.

Lhoss cast magic missiles and hit it, then Feno cut off one of the tentacles, allowing Niki to fall back and stepping in front of her. Feno was then hit by a tentacle and paralyzed also! 

Kyro stepped in and finished it off with an arrow and it fell to the ground next to Feno and Niki. We planned to rest for half an hour as they recovered from the paralysis and Lhoss memorized her spells.

As we waited and kept watch, Chiki noticed a strange pile of rubbish farther down the hall and then spotted a familiar glowing red light approaching: fire beetles. The beetles also appeared to be attacking from behind us around the other side of the hallway.

Feno immediately destroyed the first beetle to approach, Kyro hit another, and Lhoss interrupted her spell memorization to levitate a third. More fire beetles advanced on us and Kyro nearly killed one, firing point-blank with his bow. One hit me but I couldn't seem to hit anything. Lhoss tried hitting the levitated beetle but missed and it somehow managed to spin itself around with a leg on the wall and faced her down! Feno smashed two more into pieces and Niki and Chiki finished off the rest of them.

Chiki then examined the rubbish and noted that it seemed some of it had gone missing during the battle. Feno used a torch to start the rubbish on fire and smoke began to fill the hallway. We moved back north to the brick wall and decided to break it down. Four of us wielding sledgehammers made short work of it and we discovered it was hiding a room full of over 100 burial alcoves, plus a large, bricked-up space with the words "Vermingretrix the Reaver" written on it in ancient common.

As we were busy looting the alcoves, Feno—who was guarding the door—heard quiet footsteps in the hall. He stepped back in and the rest of us moved up to the north wall, prepared to ambush who or whatever was coming.

Someone called in to us, “Drop your treasure and come out and we won’t harm you!” We taunted the bandits to come on in after us and instead they tossed in two fiery vials of oil. One broke and splashed and I found myself hit with burning oil. Bother! We all stepped out into the hall and began attacking them.

It was the Band of the Black Hand! Feno smashed a couple. Kyro and I smashed two more. They stupidly kept coming at us and got in a few hits, but Kyro and I quickly damaged two more. One then turned to run and was immediately smashed by Feno. Kyro finished off another and the last one—nearly dead—dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

He was a young man. We began questioning him angrily and as he blubbered about joining the band from his home in the forest. Chiki then slapped him across the face and he passed out, but several of us began feeling guilt about the kid. We discussed hiring him as a torchbearer. I decided to bind up his wounds and wash his face. Chiki slunk away back to the burial alcoves and Niki cast a healing spell on him.

Kyro then went through the pockets of all the dead and Lhoss gathered tokens of the black hand from their armor to take back to town for a reward. Lhoss also pulled out an old tunic that had once belonged to Derrick and Kyro pulled out some old pants with holes in them. I took those for the young man and stood guard over him as the others went back into the room to finish searching the alcoves.

Session 130: Mysteries of the Sphynx

It's late morning on Day 19 of Harvester and our small group of Feno, Niki, Arnd and me (Lhoss) approach the main entrance to the barrow maze. We've climbed down this rope dozens of times, but all of the strange happenings (the containers of body parts, the theft and teasing note from another group, the ghast) have put me on edge and I decide to have a look around. I am drawn to a scene by a delicious scent and what I see is most curious: a stone table set with a plate with beef, potatoes and gravy and a side of vegetables along with a silver goblet filled with some liquid. There are even tendrils of steam still rising from the dish. It looks tempting, but it is so perfect a display in such a dangerous place, that we all feel as though it may be a trap. Feno tosses a small pebble and it hits squarely on the chair sat at the table and bounces away, dismissing his suspicions that there may be an invisible person in our midst. The group splits to search the nooks and crannies and finds nothing. If we have interrupted someone about to enjoy and early lunch, the only direction they could have gone is down the rope. So we descend into that familiar gloom, with Feno going down head-first in a daredevil manner.

The scene is one we have all seen dozens of times, but considering the oddities we have just encountered, we are all eyeing the space with extra scrutiny. The room is partially collapsed on the western wall (has it always been in this condition, or are we just now taking notice?) and written on the southern wall are the words "don't go on" (how long has that been there?). There are also frescoes of a burial procession. As we gaze upon the painted picture, the figures seem to animate and move, then in a blink, go back to still. There are exchanges of "did you just see that?" and "what is going on?" and a general feeling of disquiet. We decide that we should pay attention to the bad vibes we're all sensing and retreat back up the rope. Curiously, the plate of food is now gone and not even a scent lingers. It's as though it never was.

Good thing we know of a second entrance. We head to and enter the barrowmaze through what I have come to think of as the secret passage. Suddenly, every member of the party is frozen in fear as a vision of horror plays in our mind. What entity has the power to cause our entire group to experience this sort of psychic terror? Everyone is contemplating our options when Niki's face transforms from a look of worry to one of beatific exuberance! She has received a message from her deity, Obad-hai, that it is her divine mission to seek the Font of Law. This is likely because the two driving forces leading this cause in our party, Armatzi and Chalkboi, have left the party and the group had grown ambivalent toward the goal. It seems cleansing the barrowmaze is a priority for multiple higher powers. Niki's motivation is enough to electrify the entire group such that we all overcome our hesitancy and push forward into the crypts. We are not even deterred by the gurgling cackle that is heard in the distance. When you are infected with quest fever, the only antidote is success!

Moving with our usual caution, Gnorcia notices a doorway that had been previously guarded by a goblin, but was now clear. Onward to new discoveries! The first thing the group encounters is a crumbing sphynx statue covered in moss and dust. The statue blinks to life and speaks. Apparently it has been in the barrowmaze for many millennia. It pegs us as adventurers and offers a trade: if we can solve a riddle, it will answer a question for us. Surely a being that has been here so long could lead us directly to the Font of Law. Somewhat impetuously, without inquiring about the terms of the contract, I agree to participate. The riddle is posed: "Close to the words stay I, but I wither, wane and grow dry." I am utterly befuddled. The sphynx suggests that we all discuss it over lunch, and by the way would we mind sharing some of our rations and water? We do so and the sphynx drains and entire water skin. Feno poses that perhaps the answer is tongue, as the sphynx was clearly very thirsty. That sounds like a good answer to me, but the answer we decide to give is parchment. The sphinx seems a little disappointed and informs us we are incorrect. The answer was a pressed flower. At that revelation, the sphynx crumbles to dust and a quiet sob is heard. One can only hope that the sphynx has simply moved to another room and we may encounter it again.

Moving along, Niki kicks up some poisonous mold with her 10-foot pole. She is knocked unconscious. I cast my continual light spell, but it does not neutralize the mold. Feno pulls Niki away from the mold and manages not to become infected himself. I was all for leaving the pole behind, but Arnd deftly retrieved it and cleaned it for further use. In time, Niki recovered and we pressed on. In the next room, as Niki probed the area with the pole, a trap was triggered and a steel cage came crashing down from the ceiling, snapping the pole in two. If a person had set foot in that space, they would have either been trapped or crushed. Fortunately, there is a second pole in the bag of holding!

Further along, we enter a room with piles of rubble and cobwebs on the ceiling. Niki probes one of the piles and disturbs more toxic mold. She is able to quickly retreat and avoid being poisoned this time. With a careful inspection of the room, Niki finds a hidden latch. She switches it and a passage is revealed along with a bricked off wall. What horrors are hidden behind it?

Session 129: Forest Encounters

Notes by Gnorcia

End of Day 17 of Harvester

We began moving through the thick mists of the Barrowmarsh, which felt more menacing than ever. It was as if some terrible presence was closing in on us. We tried to engage in casual conversation along the way, but it felt very superficial and everyone’s faces looked strained.

As we moved through the forest, we came to the same area where we had found something on the trail before and saw aother something. It appeared to be a body with something sticking up out of it! Calbach suggested throwing a torch at it, I suggested casting dancing lights, and ultimately Lhoss cast continuous light on the entire area.

In the light, the figure appeared to be a human with two arrows protruding from its back. Niki swept the path carefully toward the body and used the pole to push it over. It's face was frozen in a look of horror and it was missing both of its eyes! We didn’t recognize the person—a male human dressed in worn clothing in woodland colors, and it appeared to have had a purse that had been cut from its strap. Kyro deduced that the eyes were cut out post-mortem.

No one wanted to touch the corpse, but we determined to move it off the path so Calbach and Kyro lifted it off the trail and off to the side, and the group gathered leaves and a few branches to try to cover it a bit. Lhoss then dispelled the continuous light and lit a candle, Calbach lit a torch, and we continued our march back to Orlane.

The sun set about half an hour after we left the quiet, creepy forest and we hurried to arrive at Orlane before dinnertime ended. The farmers we passed on the way seemed in a hurry to finish their tasks and get back inside their homes. We made it back in time for dinner and were met with a relatively quiet atmosphere in the common room of the inn. Innkeeper Florin mentioned that there may be another shopkeeper setting up shop soon.

Day 18 of Harvester

The next morning we slept a bit later to recover from our late travel, then decided to spend the day in town. At breakfast, Calbach took extra bacon and stuffed it in his pockets for a snack later. Lhoss, Niki, and Kyro spent some time just outside of town, searching for rose petals and holly, and Calbach went down to the lake where he practiced hopping between rocks and managed to fall in a few times.

The group then went to visit the mayor and show him what we had found in the Barrowmaze. He was very interested in everything but especially in the Barrowmarsh Scroll and the lost journal, and offered 100 gold pieces for the scroll and 150 for the journal. He also said we should consider going to Hookhill and approaching the local gentry to see if they would be interested in the Gran March Royal Edicts, and that the codex and the alchemical grimoire would probably be very valuable in the right hands (such as an alchemist) as well. He suggested taking the mummification documentation to a house of worship.

Calbach was dripping water, munching on soggy bacon, and behaving a bit rudely so we set him on “guard duty” outside and “helped” him out. Lhoss told the mayor that she would bring the journal at the end of the day after she had read through it and transcribe information of interest to our group.

We then went to the temple and Kyro took the mummification scrolls to Priestess Misha. She was thrilled at receiving them and said the temple would be willing to give a gold credit for future healing or items, or to trade some holy water and healing potions. We purchased 10 healing potions and now have an 820 gold credit.

Calbach was behaving a little oddly so Misha had some acolytes help him to a resting place to teach him meditation. I decided to stay with him and make sure he didn’t wander off. Niki went with Lhoss to have Ramne identify the magical studded leather armor, which they learned is +2 to AC.

Calbach leveled up so he will be spending 2 weeks at the temple and will be back on day 5 of the Brewfest festival, and Chiki the Turtle has now joined the group in his place. I also leveled up so will be back in 7 days, and Arnd has now joined the group in my place.

Notes by Arnd

Day 19 of Harvester

We ate a hearty but oddly-meatless breakfast—methinks this must be similar to the strange diet of elves—and headed out for the Barrowmarsh.

The group filled me in on what happened during their last trip through the Dim Forest, and when we got to where they had left the eyeless body, we discovered it standing! It then began to shuffle toward us and with that motion we quickly recognized the movement and foul stench of a ghast. It headed straight for Niki, managing to hit and paralyze her. Kyro and Feno both ran in and attacked, destroying it but stinking up the woods even more with its nasty corpse.

Chiki kept trying to slap Niki's face to wake her up, but I lifted him by his collar and set him to the side. After a tense minute, Niki came to herself and could move again. We quickly continued on our way and made it to the Barrowmarsh, which seemed even more cold, dank, and smelly than usual.

Session 128: "Your Mother!" and Assorted Creepiness

Gnorcia and Lhoss return to the cul-de-sac with the cold room and attempt by turns to pick the locks to the east and west, but are unsuccessful. Feno has had good luck forcing open stuck doors, but these locked would not be budged. And if Feno can't bust down a door, whomst among us could?

Feeling itchy to explore something new, Lhoss and Feno backtrack to the brick walled-off room that is giving off odors of death and decay. What earlier seemed like a bad idea was suddenly worth a try. To their shock, words appear on the wall: "Foolish Orlanean group, why do you tempt fate?" and three death symbols that fade into and out of sight 💀💀💀. The group doesn't immediately take the hint and contemplate what this could possibly mean! Then the words "Do you have a death wish?" appear. This is enough to push Kyro to declare that this place is unsafe and we should all leave. The group doesn't require any more prompting and retreats toward the catacombs. Incidentally, the note that had been left by the thieving adventurers was now gone.

Calbach reveals himself to be more chaotic than previously known when he declares he wants to lick the lichen on the walls. Gnorcia's most recent encounter with a fungus inform her actions to physically restrain him and talk some sense into that wild brain of his. Calbach is contented to merely poke at it instead. The group winds their way through the catacombs looking closely at dead ends for hidden doors (well, the two elves in the party do) and hoping to find something they've missed. Lhoss hears squeaks and chatter and Feno sees shiny sparkles on the floor and hears flapping wings. Then the whole party sees a group of stirges descending upon the heroes, thirsty for blood!

In a dash of dexterity one of the stirges actually bites and attaches to Feno. Less surprising but still upsetting, another two attach to Niki and Gnorcia. Calbach engages with a battle cry of "your mother!" but doesn't actually hit anything. Lhoss explodes the creature feeding on Gnorcia with a magic missile and Feno sunders the one feeding on him... and all but one remaining bloodsucker in a flurry of swinging steel. Calbach attempts to intimidate the remaining pest by calling out "Buzz off, you hit like a lady bug! And... YOUR MOTHER!" This has the unfortunate effect of enraging the stirge which attacks and attaches to Calbach. Gnorcia blinks in surprise at the turn of events then collects herself to vault into an attack. She and Lhoss both miss with their strikes, but Feno is able to finish it off. Calbach kicks at the bloodstain and utters a final "your mother!" while the party collects the clutch of gems they had seen sparking earlier.

The group eats lunch and chats then further explores the catacombs. They come upon an open space that smells strongly of a strange rotting stench. Suddenly, Lhoss is swept up and viciously attacked by a cave fisher that is perched on a ledge. Feno uses his grappling hook to climb up. Gnorcia considers throwing some darts at the creature, but Lhoss is badly injured and a missed shot could knock her unconscious. Instead, she attempts to have Calbach boost her up to administer a healing potion. She gets the boost, but is unable to maneuver into place to get the vial to Lhoss. Lhoss fires a magic missile at the creature, but it does not release her from its grip. Niki is able to climb up Feno's grapling hook as well and heal Lhoss to get her out of the danger zone. Gnorcia lands a blow and Feno kills the fiend. The treasures of the cave fisher include some studded leather armor and a partially destroyed scroll which reads "red, black, purple" in Elvish. 

The group heads out, Orlane bound and comes across another disturbing urn. This one is filled with severed ears. Is someone collecting battle trophies in the barrowmaze? The group also notes some warmer air coming from beyond the arches but does not investigate further as it is a disquieting thing to notice temperature changes in the tombs. The group exits into the barrow marsh, and makes toward Orlane.

Dusty Tomes and Frigid Gnomes

Day 17 of Harvester

Feno and Eldriel both awoke to the delicious smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen of the Foaming Mug. After getting up and ready for the day, they both made their way down to the common area and enjoyed breakfast, and the company of their fellow companions, namely Gnorcia, Niki, Lhoss, and Kyro. Eldriel went back upstairs to his normal daytime routine, while Feno and the rest decided to get an early start on their day to try to claim the silver they had hidden in the barrowmaze the last time they were there. They head towards the dim forest in the now familiar path towards the barrowmaze. 

As they enter the dim forest, the group has a collective sense of foreboding and gloom befall them. Each of them in their unique way, feel as though they are being watched. Feno, initially though, is too preoccupied with his own thoughts to pay any attention to these feelings or those of the group and wanders ahead. Lhoss, ever cautious, asks the group to stop, and they all agree, including Feno. While Lhoss climbs a tree to get a better view of her surroundings, Feno starts to break apart a dry ration into small chunks. The rest of the group take better strategic positions, and Feno begins to toss the ration pieces into forest in an attempt to flush out the creature/creatures that have spooked everyone else. Fortunately for the group the food has no effect on drawing anything out of the woods. They agree to keep moving and move at a much faster pace to try to get out of the dim forest, hoping that doing so will alleviate the feelings of gloom and fear. When they arrive at the barrowmarsh, however, the feelings are still there, and more intense than before. They move and arrive at the entrance of the barrowmaze, and enter. 

Upon entering the barrowmaze, the group is surprised the over-powerering feeling sense of doom and gloom that had followed them since the dim forest had seemingly disappeared. They proceed to follow the winding paths and passages through the underground labyrinth towards their hidden riches. While heading towards that particular area, Niki spots a hidden worn brass urn along the wall that they hadn't seen before. Upon investigation, the urn is filled with a large number of teeth, of various types and lengths. Gnorcia and Lhoss are particularly disgusted by this, and the group continues towards the area the coins are located, leaving the urn alone. They soon arrive at the obelisk room and discover to their surprise that it has been completely restored (the group had previously destroyed it in a previous visit). They move towards the area that leads to the natural caverns to the east of this room. 

In the area that leads to the caverns, the group discovers a boot print heading away from the caverns. After briefly looking at each other's feet, and comparing boot prints, they conclude that it came from someone not in the party. Kyro steps up, examines it, and determines that it is a human boot print in this particularly muddy area. The group makes their way through the cavern paths, and twists and turns, until they reach the room where they storied the silver and copper under their camo tarp. Instead of money they find a note that reads:
"Thanks for the goodies, Saviors of Orlane!"
The loss of the hidden coins, and the tarp, annoy the group, especially Lhoss. Wanting to get something out of this adventure, the decide to continue exploring and soon discover a nearby room that contains a 16 ft statue of a four-armed demon. With quick inspection, they see that upon each hand is a skull engraved with a corresponding symbol: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. They also feel the air becoming noticeably colder. Niki sweeps the area and discovers a hidden pit trap near a hallway nearby. This room has two doors: a door south that reeks of death and decomposition, which the party opted not to open, and the door north, which they opened. This door opened up to an ancient library filled with shelves of ancient tomes of knowledge of ages long lost.  Having a flashback to when Titania was lost to a magical book, the group asks Niki to cast detect magic, to see if anything is magical inside this library. Fortunately, nothing is found to be magical. What they do find, after doing some searching, is:

1. The Barrowmaze Codex - A beautifully bound book with an ornate leather cover, embossed with the sigils of long-forgotten wizards. The pages are yellowed and filled with meticulously hand-written incantations, rituals, and maps of the Barrowmaze. It is said that this ancient codex contains the secrets of unlocking the maze's hidden chambers and lost treasures. 

2. The Barrowmarsh Scrolls - A collection of delicate, rolled scrolls sealed with wax and bearing the official seal of the Gran March. These scrolls contain detailed historical records, describing ecological changes in the Barrowmarsh over centuries and the various attempts to reclaim the land.  They are considered valuable for their historical insights and ecological data. 

3. Grand Marsh Royal Edicts - Official proclamations issued by the Gran March's rulers, written on parchment in elegant calligraphy and sealed with the royal crest. These edicts detail land rights, taxation policies, and governance structures in the region, including the Barrowmarsh. They are valuable for understanding the regions political history and legal framework. 

4. The Barrowmaze Alchemical Grimoire - A collection of loose, weathered papers covered in cryptic symbols, formulae, and diagrams. These hand-scribed notes contain the research and experiments of an alchemist who once sought to harness the unique properties of the Barrowmaze's flora for their elixirs and potions. The grimoire's secrets are still sought after by modern-day alchemists. 

5. The Lost Journal of Barrowmaze Explorer - A worn and tattered journal filled with the scribbled notes and sketches of an early explorer of the Barrowmarsh. The journal details their encounters with mysterious creatures, local flora, and interactions with the indigenous people. It also contains a hand-drawn map of the region, offering unique insights into the uncharted territories of the Barrowmarsh.

6. A Unique Scroll of Mummification - The scroll outlines the process the people of the Barrowmarsh use to mummify remains. 

After discussing the best methods to keep this ancient knowledge safe, they store them (using the bag of holding, a secure chest, and a few scroll tubes) and continue to explore the surrounding area. Niki and Gnorcia proceed to the room to the north and discover a room with three other doors. They try to open the doors, but the cold temperatures seemingly affect them, and they are unable to open the doors. Niki heads back to the the library and Lhoss joins Gnorcia in trying to open the doors open up. With their lock picking abilities, they are able to unlock the door to the north, which Lhoss cautiously opens up. Both Lhoss and Gnorcia are hit with an icy blast of cold air, and are just able to shut the door, but not before taking icy damage. They both return to the library shivering from the cold and requesting some healing from Niki. Gnorcia bear hugs Feno, since the cold is not bothering him, trying to steal some of his body heat. The group closes both doors to the library, and Niki heals both Lhoss and Gnorcia in turn. While doing so, Feno begins to search the library more extensively, and discovers a leather scroll tube among the books. Kyro and Lhoss join in, and discover a scroll tube made of wood, a tube made of bone, and another tube made of leather. Niki sits downs and rememorizes the spells she has spent so far on the adventure, fearing they may be needed sooner rather than later...