Sx06 - The Cave of Trauma

***The Cave of Trauma*** is the 6th session of the campaign*.* It is preceded by Sx05 — A Revolution in Posttown, and followed by Sx07 — A Sudden Departure.

This session takes place over a single day: Sabato the 13th of Leontes. Notable moments of this session are releasing the shadow creatures, Leoven finding new armour and weapons, and defeating the Bullettes.

## The Stonehill Mine

At the start we have two clear goals for this mine exploration:

* Find evidence of the missing people
* Figure out what is going on

Immediately the group can smell rotten flesh coming from the Stonehill Mines. The first path we went down was caved in, however there was a pickaxe laying in the rubble and blood being dragged into a tunnel above. Rigani did a medicine check and learnt it is humanoid blood, freshly dead (not undead). There are also animalistic claw marks leading into the tunnel. We also learnt that as the creature digs it closes up the tunnel behind it. Adrasteia did a nature check and learnt this animal is unrecognisable. The smell is really strong here.

In another path (this one has red crystals in it) a gas appears as well as the sound of a bell ringing which caused fear and poison. We roll initiative. Rigani casts eldritch blast to attack one of the red crystals and it explodes leaving shards in Oto - At the end of his turn he had to make a wisdom save against psychic damage that the crystals cause. These red crystals clearly have some magical properties but are not causing this "curse" Attacked by Bandits and creatures named Bulettes (2 of each) The Bulettes take unconscious bodies under ground (this happens to Oto a number of times) Also the Bandits (We later learn their names are Brutus and Ceanus) seem to recognise Carban We also find another trap in the wall - ==they are mechanical not divine.== It seems to be wires and gas canisters that are fixed into the walls around the red clusters. The Bulettes are the source of rotting flesh. Oto takes out the shards and they leave a red powder that seems to be absorbed into the metal of his skin. Carban's axe is cursed and he attacks Oto. (He has to attack the nearest creature \*with the Cursed Axe\*) Questioned Brutus and Ceanus and learnt they know of Carban from the Slave Pits of Sparta, where Carban once fought as a slave. We also learnt that Brutus and Ceanus were hired by someone (13 or B - The Mysterious Benefactor) to set up the gas canisters and kill anyone who enters so that the Bulettes could take them to the alter, where they would be brought back to life with the \*Animate Dead\* spell. (Seems like they're attempting to make an undead army) However he called off the attack as he is travelling up north to Artemis Sentry for "better subjects" - direct quote from a letter written to Brutus and Ceanus The letters are signed off as "B" No Owl and Spear letter head. Brutus is dead, Ceanus is alive. (We intimidated him into silence after)

#### THE ALTER

The Alter had on it the same markings as was on the undead in Abandoned Crypt at Posttown the two are clearly connected. There are also two boxes. Carban picks up one and opens it. Inside is a more ornate box. He opens that box and three shadow creatures speaking a language from another plane (Abyssal) attack him. Something wrong with Carban's eyes. Carban is compelled to open the box again and it forces us to dance. We left the mine in fear of the shadow creatures.