Starfall Session 2: Cracks in the Basement

***See Starfall for a list of session summaries.***

The party waits in the entryway of the Hemrillick estate. After a few minutes with no sign of Tarcan, Aisling walks upstairs to check on him. Tarcan informs Aisling that he isn't feeling well, and the party should explore the Tower Academy without him.

The party sets off! The storm has yet to hit, but the anxious energy of the town is still apparent. Firethaera guides the party to an oddly shaped building whose walls are made of black painted bricks, and Firethaera tells the party that this is the Tower Academy of Artillery and Alchemy. Out front, a humanoid robot stands guard. Aisling expresses concern over how to approach it, but with some encouragement, he greets the doorman who invites the party inside.

The party sees what is ostensibly a storefront. There are glass cases with strange displays of all shapes and sizes. Aisling is startled when a voice responds to his comments about the merchandise. A woman appears behind a counter and introduces herself as Professor Maggie. Aisling asks if it would be possible to get a tour of the academy, and the professor leaves to fetch another professor to act as the party's guide around the school.

While Maggie is gone, one of the cases catches Aisling's eye. He spots a plain silver ring decorated with a miniscule version of a familiar blue crystal, the same crystal that came from the man who assailed him and gave him his powers. Aisling tests the case to see how it's closed, and it opens with very little resistance. He pulls the ring up to the fire he creates in his hand and, much like the crystal he wears around his own neck, he sees a sparkling star pattern projected from the ring's crystal. Aisling debates stealing the ring, but he thinks better of it and places it back in its display case.

Meanwhile, Jag opens a case of his own. He swipes five items from it and replaces them with various stolen jewelry from the Hemrillick estate.

Soon after, Maggie returns with an elvish man who she introduces as Professor Neivan. Before the party can leave on the tour, Aisling asks about the ring. He explains that he would like to have it, but he doesn't have the purchasing power to afford it, so he asks if there are any tasks that need to be done around the tower that he could do to pay in labor rather than gold. Maggie instructs Nievan to take the party to the basement, where they might work off that debt.

Nievan guides the party to what appears to be somewhat of a storage room. He explains that the basement is where the academy stores failed projects and hazardous materials that need to be disposed of. He tells the party to gather and burn everything in the fire pit in the center of the room. He tells them to ring the bell by the door to alert him when they're done, then leaves them to the chore.

After a few minutes of work, Firethaera offers to take the "grunt work" of moving heavy barrels to the center. However, the combined wait of the 400 pound robot and the barrels in the same spot causes cracks to appear in the stone floor. Aisling hurriedly suggests Firethaera move while he rings the bell to summon Nievan, but she takes her time setting the barrel down which just causes more cracks to spread from her feet. Jag casts a levitate spell on her just in time as the ground crumbles away, revealing a dark tunnel beneath the basement.

The session ends.