Session 17

Gimli peers into the pool of the black liquid. He recalls that he saw this substance in a vision before. He mentioned that it swallowed up a grove and guardian. It was leaking from the Goddess' eyes. He says it brings ill tidings.

The group ponders before deciding it's best to leave this liquid alone. They return to the construct to get it out of the mine. They had gotten the construct into a minecart. They wheel it up into the elevator, ride up, and roll it out of the cave.

They decide to use some wood around the entrance to the mine to create a makeshift sled to carry the construct.

Before heading out, they decide to sleep the night at the mines. Each member taking a 2 hour shift keeping watch over the group while the rest continue to sleep.

Pete is watching first. Over the night, nothing approaches the mines. Near the end of his shift, in the distance he can see flashes of a pale-ish blue light at the edge of his vision. It's closer to the river the group traveled along. The light flickers on and off as if people are turning lights on and off. He finishes his watch and informs Theo about what he saw.

As Theo looks at it, he finds the lights sporadic and random. He doesn't know what it is. Gimli heard stories of monsters that appear like floating lanterns, but doesn't know much about them and if these are those. The two hours go by uneventfully.

Duster takes his watch. The sun has already begun to rise. With the light, the lights seem to be disappearing. He does also see the ruins of a house or cabin where the lights were. The cabin itself is partially sunken into the river. It's hard to make out details from the distance, but it appears to be some kind of fishing hut.

Duster mentions the potential that the lights were signal lights for people high in the mountain. The color could have been a particular type of material being burned.

Gimli pulls the construct to the cabin. The group arrives with him. A part of the cabin is overgrown and reclaimed by nature. A rowboat is partially sunken into the water. The group splits to cover ground around and inside the cabin.

Athtar enters through the workshop. It's not fully fleshed out but also in ruins. The tools are meant for reparing things. It isn't a full forge, but the metal has all rusted away.

Pete and Theo search the garden. Pete doesn't see a back door entrance. He finds a white fragment near plants that he recognizes as shards of bones. Once he points it out, Theo looks at it with him.

Gimli and Duster look around the other side of the cabin. Duster is trying to keep a low profile. He's keeping an eye out around the perimeter. Gimli continues to sneak around the property. Duster notices something in the water by the boat.

Where the dock falls away, Duster spots a skeletal hand reaching out from the mud around the sunken dock. It isn't moving, but it is clutching something shiny. He can see that it is a dagger. It has 2 runes carved into it, a potency rune and a property rune, though he can't make out what it is.

Athtar continues into the living area. It hasn't been touched in a year or year and a half. There's a fine layer of dust covering everything. All metal has rusted over, a wild animal got in and scratched up the chairs. He goes up to the bed, checking the nightstand. There are small nick-knacks and trinkets. He also stumbles upon a small rusted key but has no place to put it.

The group reconvenes. Theo reports the bones, Duster reports the skeletal hand and dagger, Athtar reports the key. Theo suggests using his Kinetecist ability to pull the dagger from the hand, easily pulling it out of the hand. The hand slumps down and sinks. The dagger itself is clean and shiny, there's a curve to the blade. He identifies the runes, a potency rune +1, and a ghost touch rune. He also notes that the dagger is of elven origin, northern elven specifically.

Theo offers to transfer the runes to Duster's gun. Athtar wants the dagger once they're done with that. The group heads back to the garden to examine the bones. They note that they are animal bones. Someone is coming here to mix them in with the fertilizer.

Athtar and Duster check the outhouse. It reeks, but not like shit. It reeks of chemicals. Athtar wafts the scent toward himself after it's pointed out. It smells like the residual smell of alchemical fire.

Duster also notices a small box in the toilet hole. It looks like it was tossed in there in a hurry but not placed in there.

Athtar slowly reaches for the box, getting his hands on the base and pulling it out. He then immediately washes his hands He then checks for a keyhole, finding one.

Athtar and Duster head back to the group, he asks Theo to de-rust the key He does so as well as the box. The key has a reddish tint and its material is Quick Iron. Theo's teacher taught him this. It is a sky-metal, found more commonly in the red mountains. It can be turned into an alloy that is stronger than steel. It is what the dwarves were mining in the red mountains. It can also be turned into a deadly poison.

The group heads inside and opens the box. Inside it is a scroll case. They open the scroll to find a map of the frontier. There are three X's on it. One in the red mountains, about 2 days from salt creek. Another on the thundervein plateau, and a final one in the shattered lands. It is a high quality parchment. It doesn't appear that it is from this location and is elven in origin.

The map is outdated as Salt Creek isn't on the map yet. It is around 20 years old. Athtar recognizes some markings on the map. He knows there's an alchemical item that can reveal hidden messages and is commonly used in Elven aristocrats.

He knows he doesn't have the tools, but if he has it, he can reveal more to this map. (He requires Forensic Dye)

The group continues and makes it back to town. They head to the church once more with the construct in tow. Duster and Theo take over to take the construct in as Gimli and Pete aren't allowed to enter. People look in awe as they see the construct.

As they enter the Chuch/Workshop, there are more people than there were last time, like an assembly line putting together a clockwork device. Father Denith greets the three and they hand the construct over. Athtar also raises concern of the black liquid they saw in the mines. He suggests sending a group to investigate. Duster chimes in to note that it was similar to an elemental, but something is very wrong with it. He mentions he doesn't know much about elementals, but he mentions that there's a scholar in South Point who studies with the various planes. Athtar also mentions the symbols of the philosopher's stone, and specifically that someone was buried there. Duster asks how he knows. Athtar mentions the writing, quoting "Here Calliax was bound, forever sealed, forever unmade."

As Athtar says it, Theo and Duster catch a look of excitement flash across Denith's face. Denith follows with his research: That Calliax was exiled before the gods brought ruin to the Aslanty kingdom. Athtar mentions that the mines are dangerous. Denith agrees that it's not safe for the the miners to enter again until this is looked into.

Athtar also asks if the church has any Forensic Dye. Denith replies no, but he can cobble something together by the end of the day.

Theo and Athtar claim their rewards for their efforts.