The Lazarus Expedition: Episode 03

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==Synopsis==
The party, barely gaining victory over Flicker Redscale, retreat back to the town of Abalar.
On the first night of their rest, clerics and paladins are awoken, feeling drawn to look at the sky. In the sky they see the Goddess Martha travelling down to the world as a comet. It is apparently the first time a god has done so in this Age. A festival is held in town afterwards.
After resting the party go to the slave markets to see if any of their fellow crew members were taken there, or if they can find a guide to help them on their way. None of their crewmates end up being there, but the party reluctantly purchase a slave, Plax, making them free after purchase.
The party purchase some seaweed to sell at the next town and set-out with their guide and another traveller, Dara. On their way they are ambushed by more Azari. Their battle with the Azari goes more smoothly than their last encounter. The party capture the leader of the group of Azari and release them in exchange for the party to be left alone.
==Recap==
===Redscale Battle Aftermath===
The party has defeated Flicker Redscale in combat outside of Abalar. Dio, cleric of Jexel, who hired the party for this quest, comes up the steps to to congratulate the party. Roy is still in panic from the combat while Cassian aids the unconcious Styrmir and Vasher.
Dio pays Cassian 94 gold coins he gained from charging the audience for watching the battle. The crowd help take Vasher and Styrmir back into Abalar to rest up. On the way back to the city Cassian complements and comforts the panicking Roy for his performance in the combat.
In town Styrmir and Vasher wake up in their inn beds. The whole party decide to rest in the inn for the next week
===The Fall of Martha - 3rd of July===
Vasher and Styrmir are awoken in the middle of the first night of rest with the sudden feeling that something has happened. A NPC cleric, Amy, also resting in the common room awakens to the same feeling. The group of holy men and women are drawn to the rooftop.
One on the roof of the inn the party see that on top of the temple across the street is a similar gathering of clerics. They look skyward and see a descending bright green comet. The goddess Martha is traveling down to the world. This is perhaps the first time a god as traveled down to the world in this Age (Age of Heroes). The gods more frequently visited the world in the previous age, the Age of Mist.
This inspires Styrmir to use a healing spell down in the inn, announcing to all the sleeping people that Martha is on here way down to the world. Cassian volunteers to be healed, and Styrmir casts cure wounds upon him.
In the morning the city authorities, (Abalar is a theocracy) decide to throw a festival in celebration of Martha's traveling down to the world. The party join in the feast and celebrations.
Over the next week of rest the comet moves further and further west in the sky until it is no longer visible.
Over the week Roy learns some spells from the Arcmage's Spellbook. He successfully learns Snilloc's Snowball Swarm, Mage Armor, Feather Fall, Tenser's Floating Disk, but fails to learn Earthbind. 
==Experience==
* 655 Exp each (955 exp total). Party level up to level 3.
** Cassian Wrynn - +10 HP (32 Max HP)
** Styrmir - +5 HP (22 Max HP)
** Roy Waystar - +2 HP (10 Max HP)
** Vasher Talat - +10 HP (31 Max HP)
==Recap==
===The Slavemarket===
The party finishes resting and decide to get some gear and supplies. Cassian says the party need to hire a guide, and the rest of the party agree. The party debate over purchasing a slave, but decide to check the slave market in case someone else from their ship's crew ended up there.
The slave market are currently being run out of the colosseum grounds. Half the colosseum is being used for practice, the other half used for the slave market. The auctioneer is a cleric of Quantarius, the god of trade. The party other than Roy find the whole scene distasteful. Roy has curiosity over it all but eventually the full situation becomes real for him and he also becomes disgusted. 
After waiting around many hours there is no sign of their missing crewmembers. But there is someone from the town of Blup who would work as a guide. Cassian is the only bid and buys the man for 50 gold. The man is branded by a slave mark.
The party leave the colosseum with their new slave. Once outside Cassian says to the slave they are now freed, but would like it if they could help the party make it to Blup. The former-slave introduces himself as Plax and is bewildered by this turn of events. Cassian gives Plax 5 gold.
The party with Plax go to the tavern. Plax explains his story. 10 years ago he was a stevedore on boat. One time traveling from Blup to Bellwind when he was ambushed and captured. Since then he has been traded between owners and worked different jobs. He hasn't seen is wife and kids in all that time.
The party ask what they need to travel to Blup. If the party had money they could just sail there, but since they don't they will have to travel on foot. Plax gives the party a list of supplies they need. It ends up costing 82 gold.
The party decide to buy 50gp of seaweed in Abalar to sell up river for a profit, as well as a cart. Cassian finds a merchant, Dara, who is traveling up river who will pay the party 1 gold per day to act as her escort. The party accept the job.
===Departure from Abalar===
The party set out from Abalar with Plax and Dara. The first couple days are uneventful, coming across villages on their way. Villages are cautious of allowing well-armed strangers inside without a reputation. The party trade for goods outside the village walls. 
On the second day of travel they see the skeleton of a small dragon buried in the sand. Roy excitedly rushes over to study the dragon remains while the others are more cautious. Vasher uses divine sense and detects no undead or fiends nearby. 
But the Roy is ambushed by a group of Azari who had burrowed under the sand.
:Combat Begins: Party vs Azari
:Round 1: Azari #1 tries to push Roy to the ground and fails. Azari #2 tried to hit Roy with their weapon but Roy uses the spell Shield to block the blow. Azari #3 lands a blow against Roy. Cassian moves up near Roy and tries to provoke the Azari to attack him instead. Azari Leader #1 Azari comes out of the sand. Azari #4 attacks Styrmir. Vasher casts compel duel upon the Azari Leader #1. Azari #5 charges Cassian but is cut down in one blow. 4 Azari unburrow (#6-#8 & Leader #2). Styrmir fights with Azari #4. Roy disengages. Azari #9 flanks Vasher and attacks, breaking his compel duel concentration. Azari #10-12 unburrow. 
:Round 2: Azari #1-3 attack Vasher. Cassian uses "Fighting Spirit" then attacks one of the Azari swarming Vasher, killing Azari #1 & #3. Azari Leader #1 flanks around to the side of the battle. The wounded Azari #4 loses moral and disengages away from Styrmir. Vasher lay-on-hands himself for 14 hp. Azari #6 attacks Vasher. Azari #7 attacks Cassian. Azari Leader #2 flanks to the side of the battle. Azari #8 chases after Roy. Styrmir thunderwaves 3 Azari (#9, 11, 12), killing them. Roy Misty Steps away from Azari #7. Roy casts firebolt at Azari #10 but misses. Azari #10 loses moral and retreats.
:Round 3: Azari #2 retreats from the battle. Cassian kills Azari #7. Azari Leader #1 throws a spear at Cassian then burrows under the sand. Vasher kills Azari #6. Azari Leader #2 loots the party's cart. Azari #8 retreats. Only the 2 Azari Leaders are left on the battlefield. Styrmir goes after Azari Leader #2 on the cart and casts sacred flame. Roy summons Vika and casts Dragon's Breath on him. 
:Round 4: Azari Leader #1 retreats. Vasher goes after Azari Leader #2 in the cart, but Azari Leader #2 spears Vasher before retreating. Vika Dragon's Breath Azari Leader #1. Styrmir casts Sacred Flame on Azari Leader #2.
:Round 5: Cassian finishes off Azari Leader #1. Vasher closes in on Azari Leader #2. Azari Leader #2 tries to injure Vasher but misses so continues to flee. Styrmir hits Azari Leader #2 with his flail. Roy Firebolts Azari Leader #2.
:Round 6: Cassian stabilises Azari Leader #1. Vasher attacks Azari Leader #2 with a divine smite, finishing him off.
:Combat Ends
Cassian ties up his captured unconscious Azari Leader. Styrmir collects some dragon bones & teeth to use later in his augury spell. The bones aren't in a state to be used for the spell at the moment and need to be fixed up to be worth 25gp.
In the aftermath of the battle the party decide on new protocols. Every 2 hours they will swap who has the Leather Armor. Also Vika will remain summoned.
The party interrogate the Azari Leader, Slothaloth. Their motives for attacking the party was to take their loot, nothing more complicated than that. The party let Slothaloth go, finding no use for holding them captive. Vasher finds out from Slothaloth that a greeting in Azari is "Lok-Slosh".
The party continue their journey. The next day they spot 3 Griffons in the sky coming towards them from the sky. The Griffons wear heraldry indicating they are tamed mounts. The sigil is 3 shooting stars of gold over a field of blue.
Category:The Lazarus Expedition Episodes
Category:Save Or Die Episodes
Category:The Lazarus Expedition