We join the game where we left off. The PCs have just defeated and bound what appears to be a priestess of an evil cult, the one that Simon had been tasked by his Abbot at the Temple of Ahki to watch.
They take her to Simon's temple, where they meet with Abbot Lightman. He congratulates Simon on a successful mission and thanks the others. Examining the robes of the captured cleric, he identifies her as a member of the Cult of Sethi, an evil sect that disappeared from Langwon decades earlier for unknown reasons. He detects magic on the scroll case they recovered in Session 1, and then Dispels Magic on the warding spell that has been cast on it. Inside they find a simple map depicting the street and buildings around DemonHeads Brewery, a producer of ale in Langwon. Mick remembers (makes a roll) that he's been in the area before. Apparently the brewery and the street, as well as the associated plaza, are name after the two statues of demon heads that stand along the sidewalk outside the brewery. Legend has it that during the old days, from time to time, the heads would moan and scream in the middle of the night. While this has not happened in decades, the area has become known for that legend, thus the brewery, etc.
Abbot Lightman, impressed by Simon and his friends' success, tasks Simon with further investigating the map. The group accepts. They go to the brewery late at night. Mick uses the map to locate what appears to the trigger for a secret door on the back of the building. The team decides a long rest is in order, plus some planning. They agree to meet up again in the morning.
The next day, Debi Harree goes back to the Eye of the Beholder and asks the bartender Vern what he knows about the brewery. He doesn't know much except the ale is good.
The group goes to DemonHeads Brewery pub for lunch, to investigate. They have lunch and some ale. It seems to be a legitimate business. They see nothing weird, except that under the somewhat goofy "demon" decorative motif Simon notices what look like real religious icons of the Cult of Sethi. Debi inquires about entertaining at the pub and auditions. She is immediately hired to play that night.
Leaving the pub, they encounter a noble beating a child servant. Mick intervenes and tries picking the man's pocket. He fails, and the man starts a commotion. Mick runs.
That night the PCs return to the DemonHeads Brewery Pub. Debi entertains the crowd with her songs and stories, and earns some good money. They close the place up. The PCs head around back. From about 25 feet away, Debi uses Mage Hand to trigger the secret door. Mick looks in. A landing and a steep flight of stairs going down. Simon ritual casts detect magic, and also casts the Light cantrip on his mace. Mick is leading. He sees a landing at the bottom leading down a short stone hallway with an arched ceiling. Beyond the arched opening at the end is a 15' x 15' room with an 8 foot ceiling, with a magical red glow illuminating the space. A door is in the middle of the opposite wall. The group stands back, and Debi uses Mage Hand to open the door. Two crossbow bolts fly across in front of the door. None of the PCs are in the right row to get hit, though Mick is close!
Beyond that door is a long room with a 15' ceiling. Inside are 3 statues of clearly evil abominations. There are two troughs full of human bones. At the other end, raised 5', is an alter. They see that looks like a sacrificial table atop it.
Debi notices that the air is fresh in this temple. They notice two 3' diameter holes in the ceiling. Apparently this is ventilation.
They examine the room closely. On the sacrifice table is a stone skull attached to the table, with a silver dagger stuck in it. Mick the rogue is very interested in the silver dagger. They all back up, and Debi again uses Mage Hand, this time to attempt to take the dagger. It doesn't budge. She tries moving it back and forth. It moves, and a secret door opens behind the alter.
Mick explores the opening. To the left he and the group discover a ladder leading up to a landing, which in turn leads to another ladder that goes up one of the ventilation shafts. He climbs it, coming to an iron grate near the top. He can tell he is just below one of the demon heads on the street outside the brewery. He reports back to the group, and they surmise that in the heyday of the cult, sounds of the sacrificial victims were heard up on the street, though the ventilation shafts, from the open mouths of the demon heads. The one just explored served as an emergency escape from the ceremonial temple.
To the right they find 1) a very narrow passageway leading one way and 2)a room containing some old storage crates, but also with a metal demon head sculpture on the wall. Mick explores the narrow passageway, discovering that it is the service corridor for a couple of crossbow traps. He finds one that the group didn't trip, as well as the one they did. He returns with the information. In his absence Simon has again ritual cast his Detect Magic spell, and does find magic coming from the sculpture. The three adventurers search the room for the arrow holes they suspect may be there. They find two on each of the walls to the side of the demon face sculpture, clearly set up to create a crossfire of bolts hitting anyone examining the sculpture.
Debi uses Mage Hand to place a silver piece in the demon's mouth. Nothing happens. She used the hand to push down on the demon's protruding tongue. They are all about 10' from the mouth, and out of range of the known crossbow traps. As she pushes the tongue down, a bolt is fired out of the the mouth, hitting Mick square in the chest and doing a lot of damage. He drops, badly injured but not out. He drinks one of the three healing potions provided by Abbot Lightman and is OK.
Debi continues to test the demon head with Mage Hand. She pushes in one of the eyes and they all hear a click from inside the head but nothing happens. She pushes up on the tongue, and the demon's jaw drops down, revealing a pile of gem stones, including one very big ruby which is what Simon's Detect Magic spell was picking up.
The air in the middle of the room shimmers and a portal opens.
A ghastly tube of pale slimy flesh falls out of the portal, plopping to the floor. The creature has a around mouth full of teeth, and large disgusting pores along its side.
The PCs attack. Mick does damage with his weapons. Simon calls upon the power of Ahki to blast the abomination with Sacred Flame, but the creature is unaffected (rolls 20 for a save). Debi attacks, doing damage with her short sword.
The creature turns its side toward Mick and one of its pores vomits forth a disgusting slime all over the rogue. He fails his save and is incapacitated (sickened) for his next round.
The battle continues! Simon batters the creature with his mace, Debi slices with her sword, while singing to Mick, bestowing Bardic Inspiration on him. The monster attacks Mick with a bite from its grotesque moth but misses.
The team then focuses more attacks on the creature, all hitting. Simon smites the creature in the name of Ahki, his mace ablaze with his Light spell. His blow ruptures the thing, slime and bile flooding over the floor.
The team takes the gems, using Mage Hand to handle the enchanted Ruby until they can discover its nature.
They leave the complex.
End of Session
Game days expired: 2
EXP. 170 each.
Agli be praised!
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