Conflict in Cazhaak Draal

***Zor, Lharvion 19, 993 YK***

**197 days until the Day of Mourning**

Siegfried and Josephine worked their way down the hillside to engage the medusa attacker and his allies. They needed only to hold him off for a few moments until the guards could arrive on the scene. Attacking from either side, the two held them at bay. The medusa narrowly avoided Siegfried’s attempt to blind it, and then fled when the numbers were no longer in its favor. The medusa’s allies were swiftly defeated. Siegfried noticed that some of the individuals had been partially petrified and had daelkyr markings on the petrified portions of their bodies. Asking around, the party learned that the medusa was named Miraj Vizann. He was formerly a noble of the city, but disappeared for roughly a month, before returning and building a political opposition to Sheshka. He believes that the medusae should have more freedom than their already great freedom, and that he has been chosen by the Stone Heart to lead the world into a new age. He, and his followers, comprise an organization known as the Order of the Sacred Stone. They have recently become terrorists and Miraj was stripped of his title and belongings.

Gin, Ixen, and Ekhaas continued their conversation with the stone giant Ur-Han and aided him in spreading incense around the petrified soldiers. Gin tried to read the thoughts of the petrified army, to test and see if they were dead, and could only make out the sound of rock grinding, breaking, and shifting. It is certainly not a thought he expected, nor would he expect to be able to read the thoughts of someone fully petrified. Ekhaas told them a tale that spoke of a stone plague spread from Cazhaak Draal, that may have petrified the Dhakaani army here and, though she doubts it is contagious, she wouldn’t rule it out given that some of the petrified individuals aren’t Dhakaani in origin and are much newer. On the way back to the city, Ur-Han told them a bit of his past. He came from Xen’drik with Gorodan the Ashlord and resided in Vralkek for some time before moving north to Cazhaak Draal. He wasn’t interested in the things that drove Gorodan and preferred to be in the mountains where he could speak with the stone. Ur-Han doesn’t stay in the city, but rather in small caves that dot the valley around Cazhaak Draal. He offered the party his aid should they seek it.

Once the party had regrouped, they decided it might be best to find a way to resist petrification, given the prevalence of creatures in the area with such abilities. Seeking out an apothecary, they found a woman named Marissa, in the lesser noble market district. She sympathized with their plight, but was unable to sell them a potion to resist petrification. Since the medusas of the city use it as a legal tool for punishment, anything that would combat that is strictly prohibited to civilians unless they have a noble’s patronage. She began packing up and the party was approached by a shady figure with large, bulging eyes that appeared to have been surgically implanted. He offered them information and items to combat the medusas in the city, specifically including Miraj Vizann, but his “master” requires a donation: a pair of freshly-acquired medusa eyes. The party agreed to the trade, though certainly did not trust this man. He asked that they come back at first light and he would provide them with something to help them acquire a medusa’s eyes.

***Far, Lharvion 20, 993 YK***

**196 days until the Day of Mourning**

The first thing the party did in the morning was return to the alleyway to meet their contact. He gave them a small bottle of clear liquid and said to write a message on the alley wall when they have the eyes and someone will find them within an hour. Afterward, they decided to write a letter to Sheshka, asking for an audience so that they might apologize for not taking her challenge and offer their services while in the city. They made a short journey up the central plateau, to the main palace gates and delivered the message to the two medusa guards. On the way back, they asked around, and the party learned that the contact belongs to the Cult of the Unbound Sight, which has some enmity with the Order of the Sacred Stone. They also learned that the cult has been stealing people’s eyes in the city.

Siegfried deduced that Althea, the blind priestess at the Temple of the Shadow, may have been a victim of this cult and the party went to ask her some questions. She confirmed that the cult had attacked her and stolen her eyes and was clearly angered by them. The party implied they may have a means of helping Althea get vengeance and she said she could make it worth their while, even offering her patronage. Their initial attempt at persuading her nearly ended with disaster when they asked for a name of a medusa whose eyes they could steal. After some rephrasing, they convinced her that they meant no offense and she did offer an option: the medusae in the Order of the Sacred Stone are known to use powers illegally, and Sheshka would like to make an example of them, though has had little opportunity to do so. Recently, there was a medusa by the name of Castellan that had petrified a goliath tamer for nothing more than an insult and managed to skirt the law with a loophole. Should the party find a way to provoke him into an attack, they may be able to invoke a right of self-defense, should the law come for them. She refused to give them patronage in advance, worrying that a failure would result in a reprisal from Castellan or the law.

The party thought on this and came up with a plan, which they then executed. They made their way to a merchant district, where Castellan was overseeing some shipments. Gin changed form to look like Siegfried, while everyone else remained at a local restaurant. Gin provoked Castellan and fled to the restaurant, allowing Castellan to give chase. Once inside, he visibly changed form and hid, to allow any onlookers to see that Siegfried was being framed. Castellan, finally arriving, attacked Siegfried as expected. He failed to petrify Siegfried and the party took Castellan down with relative ease, saving themselves and other restaurant-goers from danger.