Mowenites Unite - Episode Two

## Summary:

Mowen had granted individuals the experience needed to hone their skills. In exchange, these people were called to begin their charge. Whether the agents attended the once secret but prestigious academy or were in service to the empire or owed them, six people were sought out and called into service to work the lines of diplomacy, sometimes within the shadows, getting done what needed to be done. Safety was not guaranteed. Mowen was working on a new defensive construction that the world had not seen since the Golden Age of Magic. The six were required to engage in skullduggery, cloak and dagger diplomacy, and questionable missions in service to the empire, all in an effort to build something important.

## Agents:

* Asher "Whiffle-Tongue" - Lizardfolk Wizard
* Gobin Glowstep - Halfling Druid
* Krixx Sharptooth - Kobold Artificer
* Merdaer - Drow Rogue
* Tar'ren r'Eehp r'Eehp - Frogfolk Warlock
* Xilon Harkus Starrati - Half-Elf Wizard

## Adventure:

After having split up to search for information about Wizards' Coral in three different locations, the party gathered together at House Stars in Xilon's old room. They discussed what they learned. In particular, Nightseer's books showed how he got funding so he could explore far and wide. He had a tomb in the Bluwood, but the books mentioned that he visited an underwater cove that sounded fascinating. There was even a species that could talk to him in his head. They were people that weren't to be messed with, but they might know about Wizards' Coral.

The group decided to go to the Bluwood as their first expedition, hoping that they might find a map to the underwater cove amongst the possessions with which Nightseer was potentially buried.

Tar'ren also scoured Abishot to find a Scroll of Water Breathing and found it. He traded some rare spells that he had in exchange for the scroll and scribed it in his ritual book.

The group traveled to the Bluwood. While traveling, Tar'ren cast Animate Golem to create four sentries that would guard their camp. Gobin foraged for mushrooms and found porcini. Merdaer searched for herbs and found some that helped him summon his familiar, a raven. Krixx deactivated Steelsong and created a Bag of Holding with one of his infusions. Xilon summoned his Manifest Mind, which looked like a starry galaxy. He used it to scout ahead of the party.

There were very few animals in the Bluwood, none for Gobin to talk to. Gobin led the way in the forest, smoothing out any rough terrain with Mold Earth.

They reached a point where the ground raised up in mounds. Braziers with glowing lights highlighted what seemed to be an entrance to one of the mounds. The flames burned without heat and were attached to three pieces of muslin on the ground or in alcoves, but not in the braziers.

At first, Gobin gathered sticks to put in the brazier, but the sticks met an invisible barrier when Gobin tried to put them in the brazier. Instead, Asher and Tar'ren picked up some of the muslin and put them in the braziers. Large flames filled the braziers, but suddenly maniacle laughter filled the air. Flaming skulls flew down from the hill and exploded with Fireballs that singed Asher, Tar'ren, and Xilon, and dropping Gobin unconcious.

Lightheaded himself from the attack, Tar'ren backed away from the braziers and used his Eldritch Blast bubble beam. The main force damage of the beam seemed to hurt the skull, but the extra chill didn't seem to affect it at all.

Krixx ran from the rear and shot using his repeating crossbow. He pierced the flameskull, though the piercing projectile seemed to do little damage.

Asher cast Slow, but the flameskulls resisted his magic. He dropped prone and covered Gobin with his body, tensing for another blast.

Xilon retreated from the skulls and cast Lightning Bolt through his Manifest Mind. Though a line of trees blazed from the crackling energy, the skulls seemed hardly affected by it. Merdaer tossed an electrified Chromatic Orb, though the shot went wide and further burned a tree.

One of the laughing skulls cast Flaming Sphere, which barreled towards Krixx, burning him as it bowled him over.

Tar'ren ran to Gobin and cast Spare the Dying on him, then backed away. Krixx meanwhile dashed to Gobin's side, put Gobin on Tourmaline's back, and had Tourmaline retreat out of the fray to save their friend.

Asher rolled on his back and cast Magic Missile at one of the flameskulls, but it cast Shield, blocking all effects. Xilon cast an acidic Magic Missile at the other skull, which also cast Shield.

While Merdaer peppered a skull with arrows from his shortbow, the flameskulls shot fire rays at Tar'ren. Tar'ren returned fire with his Eldritch Blast.

Krixx gently pulled Gobin off of Tourmaline and shouted, "Nope, get back up!" He cast Cure Wounds, patching Gobin up. Tourmaline went back into the battle and tried to rend a skull, but missed.

Asher stood and said, "Attack me, though I am horribly unprepared for this fight," hoping to draw the fire onto him.

Gobin screamed awake and stood. He said, "I am Gobin Glowstep, and I hate fire." He cast Create and Destroy Water, sending a deluge of water to drench the flameskulls, Krixx, Merdaer, the golems, Asher, and himself. Unfortunately, the magic did nothing but make the skulls wet. Gobin then summoned a magical unicorn spirit that would boost the power of the party's healing.

Xilon cast Starnight Blade to summon a magic sword that looked like shadows mixed with starium metal.

Merdaer yelled out an order to try taking out the braziers. Asher yelled back, "Got it."

A skull attacked Tar'ren with Magic Missile, nearly dropping the Frogfolk. Tar'ren leaned on his staff, about to fall over. He returned fire and hit. The skull fell to the ground in a clatter of bone. His golems surrounded the other skull and pummelled it.

Krixx cast Branding Smite and shot the other flameskull with a radiant bolt. The skull fell to the ground, flames extinguished. At that moment, one of the pieces of muslin in a brazier lost its flame, and the brazier shunted the muslin out and onto the ground.

After the hard fight, the party healed up. They looked around the area warily.

Tar'ren saw that the braziers had runes carved into them. He could freely put his hand in the brazier, but anything else besides the lit muslin was forced out of it. The doorway between the braziers was blocked by collapsed stone.

Merdaer looked for anything of value to the south. He found two more pieces of muslin and another set of braziers. There was a door leading into a different mound. It didn't seem blocked, but was closed.

Krixx inspected the door. It didn't seem trapped, so Asher cast Stone Shape on it to open the passage. Inside the hill was a reasonably large tomb. There were several coffins arranged around a central pillar in a sun pattern.

Krixx cast Detect Magic, but there was no magic in the tomb.

Xilon used his Manifest Mind to find where the flameskulls had come from and saw holes in the mound. The manifest mind went into the hill through the hole and saw that the tomb was full of a pile of skulls. Xilon blanched at the sight and reported the news.

Krixx, Merdaer, and Tourmaline went inside the crypt with coffins. Asher meanwhile removed the still-burning muslin from the brazier that he had put it in just in case it might summon another flaming skull.

Some of the coffins had names inscribed on them while others were worn away with time. Xilon looked for the name Nightseer, but it was not there. Merdaer opened the coffins and found skeletons missing their skulls.

Gobin found a coffin lid outside of the mounds, resting on the forest floor. The lid had the name Alistar Roseport on it. He noticed a tiny inscription that said, "Rot in Pieces."

Merdaer investigated the skulls that had attacked them. The skulls seemed to be regular, unbranded skulls. Krixx went up to the collapsed door, but saw there was nothing magic over there except the braziers and the muslin.

Seeming safe for the moment, the party gathered together to plot their next move.

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