Session 37

The party finishes up by harvesting the Goblin bodies and proceeding further into the cave where they find a stone door that looks ancient. Not detecting any magic or finding any kind of opening mechanism, Icarus and Summer team up with a crowbar to pry the door to the side, accidentally causing it to crumble in the process. They proceed through the offering room and Icarus, in his haste, pushes past Summer and triggers a trap, narrowly dodging several blades that whoosh through the air towards him and slam into the ceiling. They then make their way into the altar room where they find the statue resembling a man holding a greatsword in the downward position. They investigate the room until they out of the corner of their eyes notice that the "statue's" eyes are now open and blazing with fire. The "statue" tells them they were expected and must prove themselves in combat to be worthy of the Bow of Sunlight. Dain deftly dodges most of the Champion's attacks, though Icarus was not so lucky. Eventually the Champion declares that they have proven themselves worthy and unseals a hidden door in the rear of the room, allowing them to ascend a set of stairs leading to a featureless room with a stone sarcophagus with a ring of glowing light emanating from underneath the lid. Icarus tries to no avail to move the lid until Dain moves up and hefts it off from the side. They are met with a withered, ancient skeleton clutching onto a radiant bow, the Bow of Sunlight. They take it and make their way out, stopping to grab some gems and ancient coins from the offering room before leaving, the stone door repairing itself on their way out, and head back to Fort Elden.

On their return trip, they hear the distant sounds of battle along the road and proceed to find Kongol battling a Grick Alpha on his own. They assist him, easily killing it due to its wounds, and then harvest its body. Kongol tells them he is headed to Eldham to meet with Kendel and agrees to accompany the party.

Upon return to Fort Elden, the party is met with the sight of scores of Humans doubled over in pain and Talindra and Giselle rushing about tending to the sick. They find out that numerous Humans have become sick over the last few days and 20 of them have died. They quickly deduce that it must be poison of some kind and begin tending to the sick, cooking soup to aid with the pain and finding a discarded vial near the water supply with a trace of poison in it. Dain provides Giselle with the vial and she begins brewing a large batch of anti-toxin, though in the time it takes to brew, 27 more Humans lose their lives, bringing the death toll to 47, nearly a quarter of their number.