Into the Bowels

Year, Season, Month, Days: 5992 F.Y. Uptal, Scythian 15-16

After a moment of discussing plans, Marasennah posed as The Spirit of the Magma, encouraging the miners to escape and learning about the individuals stationed at The Moon Tower. Marasennah realized those in charge believed there to be something beneath the tower itself.

As the miners worked began to descend the mountain, they were attacked by several guardsman. The party assisted them in fighting off their attackers, with Marasennah causing one to surrender before brutally murdering him with Chord of Shards.

The party freed the miners from their shackles and searched the bodies of the guards, finding a glowing orb, an engraved platinum piece, some money, and an array of weapons. In addition, the party found a note marked with The Stamp of the Censored Book with orders to explore The Moon Tower. The party also found an aggressive note from a monarch on the vampires. The party sent the miners down to Coreth to stay safe.

Upon (somewhat) sneaking into the tower, the party noticed there was a significant amount of green, similar to the lights first seen by Marasennah on the ship, embedded in the stone. Lots of rubble had been moved around this massive space. After searching the room, Mandilyon found an askew stone that, when interacted with, opened a secret passage that descended deeper into the tower.

Unanimously, the party descended into the secret passage, they continued for 10 or so minutes, walking on what appeared to be the periphery of the buried tower. Another out of place stone was spotted by Mandilyon, but this one appeared to be trapped. Marasennah and Larc assisted in disabling the trap before Mandilyon opened the passage.

The room beyond was massive and the center was occupied by a dessicated man at a table surrounded by books. The party examined the man and found his clothing to be extremely dated, even by Marasennah’s standards. The party searched the man, and he and his clothes started to fall apart when jostled. A small stone key fell to the floor, which Mandilyon took. As Larc examined the book beneath the man, it started to break apart.

After searching around the man, Larc found a folio and opened it; it exploded, damaging the whole party except for Harry. Larc found another folio, much to the horror of the party, but checked it for traps and opened it facing away, sending a small blade up to the ceiling where it embedded itself. Larc searched the folio and found an encrypted page, it appeared to require a cypher key. Marasennah searched the folio and found a partial translation in a hidden compartment. It was written by a Pathfinder of Kordova, a name fairly unfamiliar to the party.

The party searched the room. Marasennah found a hollow stone with a box shape, which she broke after repeatedly bashing it against the floor. Within the remains of the box she found a disk with an unfamiliar symbol, an adamantine circle with four quadrants with a scale, a swirl, a ball of darkness, and a ball of light in each, respectively. Mandilyon found a series of 8 chevron-shaped stones that could be depressed that encircled the central stones the desk occupied. Marasennah examined the stone and noticed a depression within it, it didn’t fit any item in the party’s possession.

The party wondered why the individual died down there with no food, water, or survival equipment. The party eventually pressed on all of the stones and a column of stone rose about six feet from the central disc as it separated from the floor. Larc placed his backpack on the chevron-stone and made his way to the disc, and discovered rotating the central pillar would cause it to rise or fall.

Larc descended, saw a very dark cavern and a red blow far below him. He reversed direction and managed to wedge the central column against the ceiling, After fighting the mechanism, the disc was brought to rest at floor level. The party joined him on the disc as it began to descend. After descending for several minutes the disc reached a stopping point with one path ahead and one path behind that headed into complete darkness, save for the slight glow of the magma below.

Harry waited on the disc as the remainder of the party ventured forth, his voice fading into silence as the party walked forth. The party reached a large sealed archway with a small circular depression in it. Marasennah put the engraved disk in place and pressed it and the archway opened like petals. Purple flames erupted and ringed the large cavern. A gargantuan skeletal statue was seen atop a giant throne. Larc and Marasennah advanced towards the statue with Mandilyon staying behind. Marasennah recognized the creature as a great weapon of destruction and war known to destroy suns and worlds, a Tzitzimitl. It did not seem to be active, and the layers of dust indicated this space had not been disturbed for many thousands of years.

After examining the Tzitzimitl, they saw it had green chains binding it to the seat of power. Larc was almost sickened by the strong aura of necromancy emanating from the gargantuan undead. Larc noticed an inscription on the ground in ancient common, “The last weapon of war of the Kordova Monarchy. If this is ever used, may the gods have mercy; but we will not deserve it”.

Marasennah remembered little, as the monarchy was at the cusp of written record, but it’s location was never fully understood. The party learned The Moon Tower was created by the Kordova Monarchy. However, the country disappeared suddenly, thriving and then gone with nary a trace.

The party left the room, the door closed, and the adamantine disk popped out. Marasennah took a rubbing and gave it to Larc, who briefly contemplated tossing it into the magma below before pocketing it. The party told Harry about the Tzitzimitl before walking the opposite path, encountering a plain, solid, medium-sized adamantine door with hinges that open inward. The party was unsure where it led, but whomever came this way would likely die, as there was no other obvious way out.

After making their way up and through the secret passages, the party sealed the room up and made their way up to the first secret door, where they made camp and ate. The party was unsure of the time, but did choose to eat and rest. During one watch, the party overheard knocking on the stones, seemingly searching for a secret passage.

Marasennah received a note that singed against her skin meant for Parantina that stated they could not scry on her, but knew Marasennah was alive and should be killed. The note also mentioned interrogating Drago, her royal vizier. Marasennah sent a note to her elite guard, Seridia, to protect Drago and kill the possible traitor, Cosovo.

The group prepared for their assault on the remaining guard at The Moon Tower, deciding they would do whatever it took to keep the hidden passage hidden.