Session 8 - Manipulated Memories

The party set out to reach the portal to Urgoth-Sar, the entrance of which is in a portal in an old dwarven ruin that is deep beneath the waves. Upon arriving at their destination, they discover a merfolk settlement has appeared near the dwarven ruin. It was named Triscylla and was ruled by three merfolk sisters, each who showed signs of damage to their body such as battlescars, with one of the them even seeming to be recently blinded.   The Merfolk had sealed the doors of the ruins and would not allow the party free passage to the portal. Instead they offered the party a deal. They wanted the party to clear a nearby temple of its hostile occupants in exchange for passage.   Exploring the town the party became aware of some odd memory issues all the locals seem to have but that none of them seemed unaware off. The party agreed to the merfolk's request and set out for the temple.   At the temple they discovered a merrow who was mutating corpses first into Sea Spawn and then into Deep Scions. Defeating him and heading further into the temple they found what appeared to be a merrow/merfolk hybrid who was giving off a powerful magic aura. She was talking with a projection of Afshak and referred to her as Queen.   It seemed this hybrid had used the blood of the Scylla Princesses that Afshak had seized from the Wahkeel ruins to transform herself into this hybrid and was working at the goal of cleansing the demonic corruption from Merrow but without losing the brawn that from had brought. It was also revelead the three merfolk ruling Triscylla were the Syclla Princesses, who Afshak had resurrected, though whatever method was used had left them with the wounds of their death.   It was discovered that the hybrid, Leucosia Charybdis, was responsible for the strange memories issues plaguing Triscylla having infused their monument with the ability to cast modify memory to make the town folk want to send people to the temple and then forget they did so. Though the impulsion appeared to be breaking down as the were meant to only sent people who looked like they couldn't defend themselves yet still sent the party.   Charybdis claimed to be a cousin of the princesses though whether that was meant in the familial sense or referred to their blood being the catalyst of her new form is unknown. The party and Charybdis went their separate ways without bloodshed and the party headed back to Triscylla.   Back in the town they dispelled the magic of the monument which will stop the impulsion and future modifications of memory though will not restore those already lost. The party were granted passage through the door to the portal but were told it would be sealed within a day regardless of if they had returned or not as sometimes dark things came from there.   At the end of the passage the party found a bridge over lava leading to the dwarven portal. There they found Tóugǔ, though he appeared to be using a stolen magic from his native land to project himself into another body so as to not risk his true self, though this avatar did carry Heaven's Fall. He summoned the burned and scarred spirits of the Crann trees that were used as the portal keys to reach Urgoth-Sar to fight the rest of the party if they dare to interfere as he prepared to duel Xiao.