Session 19: The Darkness Beneath the Depths Report

Last we left off, we went back in time to Amahri Rhea (Rhys), when he was doing some recon and approached the Wayfarer's Guild house. There he met his old friend and comrade Thalra. Buying him a drink, she inquired about what actually happened in Blale, trying to piece together the events from the town to finalize the report against the group that was wanted for questioning. Rhys decided that he knew her. He was the most charismatic sorcerer in the world. He unloaded his story on her and when things looked their worst, he pierced the veil to attempt to bend fate in his favor. Thalra was shocked. Stunned. Rhys left feeling good about that conversation. In current time now, Aeren Grimvein was released from the hells from his latest conditioning and returned back to the group who was boarding the vessel meant to go out and investigate and attempt to retrieve the cargo from the ship that had sank. As the group boarded the ship and made their way towards the dark, swirling vortex in the horizon the oceans became rougher and rougher. Landing down an anchor, Thalra cast Water Breathing on the group and 4 divers from the Wayfarer's guild. They all jumped in along with Ray and Ghost. Unfortunately, undead sailors (perhaps ones from the crew that had recently went down), climbed aboard the ship and began attacking. Under the water another battle ensued. One-by-one the guild members dropped until only one was left. Klaus swung wildly, cutting the ropes of some of the Wayfarer's members until eventually they had slain the undead crew that had attempted to send them down to the locker. Diving further, the group ran across what appeared to be some kind of a shark man and a giant shambling reef and a large ritualistic circle. The group sprang into action, taking down the shark man; however, there were also two undead sharks that sped towards Ghost and began biting and tearing at her. The shambling reef was able to be taken down; however, the body of the shark man had disappeared, swallowed into the ritual circle. A wonderful sacrifice to summon the remains of the first leviathan. And that it did. It erupted from the circle, immediately biting and swallowing Klaus. It seemed like the group was going to fall. It was dire. If only, if only someone had a magic item that could pull them from the depths of despair and cheese their way out of it...Thanks Ray. Utilizing the wand that he'd found in Thalvek Draewyn's experimental facility in the great city of Trealing, he cast hold monster. The creature seized up. And the onslaught began. Ghost was able to use The Hattiest Hat's defense system to get away from the sharks and began blasting. With Aeren Grimvein delivering the final blow, they were able to retrieve the Spine of the Leviathan and surfaced, boarding the boat. During this time, the remaining guild members had collected the bodies of their companions and had them covered as a silent and long trek began back towards the town of Afiya. Once they'd made it back, Ray returned to the Wayfarer's guild where he received payment for their services, Thalra would have nothing else to say to Rhys since the death of 3 of their members, and the group ran back across Twixie who seemed more at peace since whatever had been causing the spirits to remain here was gone and they were also moving on as well. Again, she offered to take the bell off of Ghost's person, willing to carry the darkness for her friend, but Ghost refused. As they exited town headed towards the city of Bokdat Ghost tried to convince the rest of the group to help her and her friend, but there was no such luck. It was too great of a risk with the creature that remained inside of the bell and so in almost silence, the group continued their journey.

After a few days, they reached the city of Bokdat where they were met by a girl girl named Hana who gave them some rice balls because "Adventurers are always hungry" and she scampered off. Ghost decided to do rogue things and investigate the town, noticing a large gathering in the poorer part of the city where someone was tied at the stake, Hanari and a lion-folk person stood on a platform speaking to the crowd who was all smiles. They began throwing rocks at the person that was tied to the stake and eventually the rest of the group made their way over. Immediately Hanari noticed his old friend Klaus, offering him some drinks and Klaus offered him some words of wisdom while chucking bottles at the person who had been put on display for stealing grain from the city. Klaus knows his way around proper punishment and the stake was set ablaze. Screams echoed throughout, but everyone kept their smile. Ghost noticed the young rice girl get slapped by an older woman who forced a smile back on her face while Ray noticed a monk who wasn't smiling dip into an alleyway. The group split, Ray and Ghost trying to follow the monk, Klaus with Hanari, and Rhys and Aeren left waiting in the crowd. The monk was able to lose Ray, but not Ghost and eventually she found where his house was as well as following him back to the orphanage. Ray also made his way to the orphanage where he sent in his familiar to spy on the monk and the woman who seemed to be in charge. Rhys and Aeren attempted to persuade information out, but asking for a rice ball recipe didn't seem to be the proper way of doing things. Ray on the other hand was able to hear the conversation between the monk and the lady of the house that explained he was in on the theft and they were feeding the orphans with the leftover grain, but it was getting too hard and he was afraid that he as well as they would be punished for their actions. In other places, Klaus and Hanari were having a grand time. Drinking. Laughing. Eventually, Klaus developed a grand idea, what if Hanari took care of the bell creature from Ghost? Surely someone as strong as him would be able to handle it, right? Rallying the team together, Hanari took them to the poor district of Bokdat again where the group gathered around to release the creature from the bell. Positions were readied. Everything was set. Ghost unattuned from the bell and out popped a moon elf woman. Verona Laerin from Nadena. The holder of the bell that Rhys had killed. Confused and unaware of what was going on all she could mutter out was, "I'm out? I'm free? Where am I? What's going on?" before Hanari smashed her into a moon elf puddle. Blood splattered everywhere and he looked around to the group and then laughed, smacking Klaus on the back. "You were afraid of that? You have weak friends Klaus." When the bell was brought up, he smashed on it a few times, burying it deep in the ground to hopefully never be seen again and began walking off. As he turned back, motioning towards the group he laughed. "Come Klaus, your tall tales have made me thirsty and felling evil, world destroying demons have made me hungry. Let us eat. Your friends can come too..." as he looks towards Ray, then Rhys, and then to Aeren "...perhaps a little meat on their bones would give them more courage"