Zoom 2023-08-08 21:00

To cut a long story short, the party healed up, skirted past the incapacitated 'invisible' scorpions around the statue, took out 4 giant scorpions on the way back, and managed to make it home before succumbing to the magically enhanced dehydration from the desert. For future reference, it should be noted that the party members who managed to drink supposedly 'good' sips of water whilst in the desert were more adversely affected (ie took more damage) than those who didn't. The druids, who shape-changed into monitor lizards, fared best. 
 
Back at base, Brokev handed over the spear to the Maratasen shamen, who passed it on to the senior member of the pack, who wrapped it in leather and stowed it away. Brokev noticed that the Maratasen's hands were singed/burned when handling the spear (but the shamen's hands weren't). This prompted the party to get out the 'drumkit' goblets, but they didn't react at all. 
 
We asked about the cause of the desert - apparently there used to be a river flowing through it, but the area became corrupted. The Maratasen whose tomb we raided was renowned for having gone into the desert with the spear that we recovered, which supposedly stopped the desert/corrupted areas spreading further. (Which prompted the question as to why they would want to remove the spear from the area - there was no answer, except that several Maratasen parties had tried previously and failed.) 
 
They didn't know anything about the giant scorpion statue. 
 
They told us what they know about the Season of Death (see Darrell's email). There hasn't been one for a long, long time, but they recognised it when it started happening from their old stores. 
 
So it seems that the gods have collectively decided (or at least, none are able to actively oppose) a restriction on food creation that will effectively stop winter campaigning. (I suppose it would also assist sieges.) What we don't know who/what instigated this, and just how much 'co-operation' is required between the gods to effect it.