Session 26
Continuing through the hallways of the buried palace, the group begins to hit the limits of their access. A number of hallways are blocked off by cave-ins with water cascading down through the rocks. Using Detect Magic and they arcane knowledge, Kathra and Suna ascertain that the water is infused with an energy that makes the group nervous of spending too much time near it.
In one corner of the complex they find a number of pools of water and, after some experimentation, eventually discern that one of them leads through to the floor below. Sassani and Kathra dip down and spot a number of drowned treasure chests, but are spooked by movement outside of the room and return to the group, preferring to explore the rest of the cavern before risking going under.
Whilst exploring the group find the ruins of a small library. Whilst no-one can read the language on the few undamaged scrolls they find, Suna keeps five of them for later reference. The group also find a room full of statues of the squat figures they'd been seeing dead around the complex. After some puzzling of the unknown language on the pedestals, the same as Suna's scrolls, they ascertain at least that some of the figures must correspond to dates (in the format X-XXX-XXX-X), and guess that the figures must have been important figures who had been immortalised in the statues.
The final point of interest the group found was a set of stairs, leading both up and down. Heading down they soon find the way flooded, as they expected, but as they head up they find the way also blocked by water, hanging ominously above their heads. Kana braves entering the water, holding his breath as he scouts a little way on to the next floor, but decides to head back as he sees one of the amoeba-like creatures darting away from him down the corridor.
The group eventually decide to confront a room in which they'd spotted three more corpse towers. Wei sneaks in to check it's worth their time, and discovers a hidden door behind a tapestry. With a prize in sight the group assemble and, kicked into action by Suna casting a Wall of Fire over the three dormant piles, leap into action. In short order the surprised towers are dispatched, and whilst the more subtle members of the group consider how to open the hidden door Kana takes the initiative and smashes it down with his hammer.
Inside they find a small room, with two of the squat figures standing guard even in death at the entrance and, behind them, one more body clutching a softly glowing purple crystal. They also find a locked chest on the far side of the room from the figure. Suna gently takes the crystal from the figures hands and stats examining it, ascertaining that it has something to do with creating shields against water, and is likely why the area is not flooded. As she takes it, however, a number of the group hear the constant sound of water in the distance shift to a new tone, and sound the alarm.
The group decide to head towards the exit, just in case. As they flee they see more of the amoeba-creatures appearing from the blocked passages and start pursuing the group, but Sassani again banishes them before they can do any damage. Unfortunately as the creatures are banished the water they were controlling is let loose and begins flooding the corridors. Arriving at the bottom of the well, half of the group use their magical prowess and possessions to immediately ascend, leaving Kana, Ryo and Kygz to deal with the pursuing amoeba and rising water level.
Kana hurls Kygz up the rope and turns to face an amoeba entering the room. Before it can launch at him he goes on the offence, batting the amoeba about like a toy with his warhammer and leaving it weakly slopping away from him on the floor before Ryo finishes it off. They both climb the rope they took down to join the rest of the group.
Reaching the top, Wei explains to Bog what they found and bargains with him for possession of the crystal. Bog agrees to leave it with Suna in exchange for assistance from the group transporting six of the golden statues out of the cave complex. A deal agreed, the group take a rest so Suna can work out how to use the crystal. Whilst she works, Wei opens the chest that he'd Dimension Door'd out with and discovers a selection of magical scrolls inside. He also accidentally injects himself with some sort of substance built into a trap in the process, but there's no obvious effect.
Once rested the group descend back into the well, where they discover the floor they were on has now entirely flooded. Suna creates a pocket of air for them to move in, and they head to the pools in the corner where they'd previously seen treasure. Whilst Suna concentrates on keeping the water back, and keeps track of the amoeba creatures she can still feel around the outside of her area of control, Wei and Ryo work on opening the chests. Four smaller chests contained scrolls, but where they had been submerged they are largely useless (though Suna takes two she believes she can restore). They narrowly avoid setting off explosive traps in the three larger chests, and crack them open to reveal heaps of gold and gems, and a selection of fanciful armour and items.