Session 52 - Caretaker

12/07/300 (around midday)

Following the battle with the Kobolds, the party searched around the area. They tied up their two captives, searched the rest of the facility and disarmed the remaining trap (a jar of wasps). They found a study, presumably once belonging to Hadar, including an earlier copy of Oddments and Oddities as well as a number of books on magical theory. After some time, they found a hidden door that led into a secret corridor and stairs down.

As they moved through the hidden portions of the facility they found a secondary guard room. Here strange creatures, the ones they heard above, atacked. With hind quarters like a large god, 6 limbs (two pairs of which emerging from it's front shoulder joints), 13 eyes dotted round a horse-like head and a gaping maw extending longways down the middle of the skull. 13 eyes dotted the sides of the head and it's mottled grey flesh almost blending in with the grey, stone walls. One emerged from the darkness as Braith walked through the room and attempted to drag her off. Elnorin cast daylight in Heskan's armour and another creature was revealed. Bankanir dodged through the room and joined the fray before being dragged off by a third beast, emerging from the shadows. Ruric Ironfoot joined the fray. Heskan chased after Bankanir. Ruric destroyed the first creature, whilst Elnorin and Braith got the second. Rounding a corner, Heskan found a panicked Bankanir lying on the floor panting. As Bankanir stood up, the pair stood back to back. The final beast dropped from the ceiling, nearly killing Bankanir. Heskan healed him and smote the beast. Ruric joined the fray, delivering the killing blow.

Elnorin studied one of the beasts, discovering that it had no noticeable internal organs but, beyond muscle and bones, it appeared to be made of something more akin the brain matter. 

Ruric noticed movement in the corner of the room and believed he had found a secret door. He was not able to open the passage and, after the rest of the group decided it was nothing (and noted Ruric becoming slightly frantic and fixated) decided to move on. Ruric stayed momentarily to leave an illusion from the deck on guard. A stallo magi appeared.

Beyond a second and bizarly designed garrison, the party found several spawning pools. One pool had a giant chasm, seemingly burrowed out of it, that led deeper underground. An iron door marked the end of the hallway. As Heskan moved down a strange creature reached into his mind and pulled out a childhood memory. The creature had similarities to the previous beasts but had four limbs, one large eye and a flanged mouth. It told them not to disturb the Caretaker. The party discussed some things and the creature slipped off. 

Heskan opened the door aead and ascended into a laboratory. A robed, humanoid figure worked at the end, using some unseen power to levitate books. It made notes in two at a time whilst continuing to work. It never turned round but slowly controlled two dwarven scorpio ballistae. Heskan advanced into the room and both bolts fired. Braith hit one of out the air, deflecting it enough the miss Heskan, whilst the Shield of Abzu deflected the other. The Caretaker then,  unseen, reached into Heskan's mind and ordered him to remove the party from the building then return to him. The party bickered, confused as to Heskan's change of heart. 

They left the underground before Heskan was forced to attacked. Ruric restrained Heskan and all four members of the party bundled him outside. Ruric then attempted to knock Heskan out, a few strikes roused Heskan from his control as the cognitive recalibration worked it's 'magic'. The group left, briefly returning to free the Kobolds (with Heskan 'pursuading' them to follow Sniv's path) and returned to town. 

Back in the Hall of the Sky in Sheskin, the group talked. The sought out Eamonn, speaking of what they found, and Elnorin sought the help of his apprentices to cure Ruric's growing mania. Eamonn mentioned the some lore on Hadar that may be of interest at the prompting of the group's tale of a potential portal. In the 4th year after Vannin liberation a great comet passed over Vannin skies. As it passed over Sheskin, it burned an eldritch purple. Hadar had not been seen since then. Eamonn mentioned that such an event was not due again until the following year and even that was over the northlands. This sparked alarms in the parties minds. 

That evening Skye and Riley, apprentices of Eamonn, spoke to Elnorin. They said they could gather the nessecary ingredients to help Ruric by evening the next day.