S03 - Pickled and Roasted

Session Summary

1. Wrapping up last time...
   1. Echo was successfully able to enter the basement, but did not get to investigate too much
   2. Sir Bryce Landry was VERY observant and called out Weela for sneaking the immovable rod
   3. Bryce shares how they learned the The Scepter of Saint Vitruvio was here
      1. Adventurers sent letters to Ophelia leading to this ruin
         1. Our goal is to recover the scepter before it could be stolen by thugs
         2. A scout came out to inspect the area, and gave them word about the strange word about the rod
         3. Bryce reveals that the Immovable Rod is a key to entering
2. We descended into the basement, and decided to explore as a group rather than split up
   1. We first enter the eastern chamber, where voices could be heard, and find several greedy mephits looking for a pay day!
      1. These mephits are strange, elemental, winged goblins, that have a tendency to explode when they die
      2. Argoth recognized them, but I'd never seen such unusual creatures.
      3. They breath scalding steam and blow blinding dust, and the magma mephit ROASTED Bryce, and in his own temple!
         1. Like, really seriously roasted, and blinded too, really bad
   2. There was much fighting, and the mephits were unusually dexterous and nimbly avoided our attacks
      1. While I spent much of my time healing and reviving my comrades, Argoth, Weela, and Echo all did their best to slay the beasts
         1. Bryce mostly burned and bemoaned his blurry vision
      2. I VALIANTLY joined the fray, sticking a steamy stooge in the stomach!
      3. After much fighting, the other guards FINALLY finished their smoke break and sauntered in to join the fight
         1. The first guard HEROICLY stole the kill from Weela and Echo, only to immediately be blinded when it exploded in his face
   3. When all the enemies lay slain, I rushed to Bryce's side and provided him with healing potions, and cured Echo of some of his wounds
3. After the fight, Sir Bryce Landry took a seat and told us the story of the The Scepter of Saint Vitruvio
   1. It's a broken chari leg that was used to beat the crap out of some evil doers
   2. Not only was it held by Saint Vitruvio, but also by one of the high priestesses of the The Faith of the Sacred Flame
   3. It's part of a collection of artifacts called The Relics of Saint Vitruvio
      1. Others include his Phylactery of Saint Vitruvio and Saint Vitruvio's Helm of Patron Saints
   4. Overcome with zealous rage, Bryce urged us on to continue the search for the Scepter...
      1. Hint: We probably should have taken a breather.
4. Rites of The Faith of the Sacred Flame
   1. The Sacred Flame treats the remains of dead clerics and paladins as holy relics, and take great pains to preserve and protect them
      1. The believe that one day, the souls might require their bodies again, and so choose to preserve them than cremate.
      2. The candles hold back any evil that would resurrect the dead
   2. There is a very special ritual of cleansing they perform on the dead, and I took very good notes
      1. The first shows the body being prepared: one priest washes the body, another wraps it in linens, the last collects the paladin’s weapon, shield, and helm.
      2. The second mural shows two priests placing the body on a tomb slab, while the third places a holy symbol in its hands and a gemstone upon each eyelid.
      3. In the third mural, the priests anoint the body with holy water or sacred oils.
      4. In the fourth mural, the priests place and light the candles around the body.
      5. The final mural shows one priest reading from a scroll while the others join hands and recite a hymn while standing beside the body.
   3. We also discover a chamber with a tree and leaves, that appears to be right under the statue of Saint Brenna
5. With the choice of a northern or southern stairwell, we choose to go south and enter the sub-basement
   1. We enter a heigh-ceilinged crypt, with skeletons of the sacred dead lying on their sarcophagi
      1. It doesn't look like all the preservation techniques of the Sacred Flame are super effective... I think a salt brine would be better.
   2. We follow down a passageway, and encounter a completely smooth stone door
      1. One by one, we each investigate the door and discover that this is... a door
         1. It is also thick.
         2. And heavy.
      2. Argoth, however, was more clever and observed that the door was linked to the rest of the immovable rod system
      3. Bryce helps us to lift the gate
   3. We find a special grave-site, for Saint Brenna herself
      1. However, it is empty, with several of the candles snuffed by water which had dripped from above
      2. There are footprints that wandered the chamber and passed beyond another sealed stone door
         1. From within, we hear Bryce screaming...
6. We ran back to the main chambers, reset the door mechanism from the soiled and trembling soldier, and descend to find Bryce locked in combat with the desecrated remains of Saint Brenna
   1. they are in a small chamber with the preserved remains of 6 holy warriors
      1. Two are holding magical artifacts; a glowing celestial greatsword, a shield and helm
   2. Two of Bryce's soldiers are dead, one is alive
   3. Even as it seems that we have arrived in the nick of time, it is unclear to me if we were still too late...

NOTE TO SELF: Must write a song with "Go down fleshy" in it...