The Endless Divide - Episode Sixteen

## Synopsis:

Luya Barie set out months ago on an expedition to cross the Endless Divide, also known as The Quiet Lands. She and her crew were seeking the eastern coast of A'lune. No one ever heard back from them until one day, a message was sent to the Court of Abishot through some sort of magic. 25 words came from Barie:

"We almost died on journey. Found massive city in quiet lands. Cannot get back. Too dangerous. Met their wizard. They need help. Safe currently. Luya."

Abishot hired the Whispering Cutlass to seek out this lost city of the Divide and its citizens. Over 100 individuals set out on the journey.

This is the sixteenth adventure in The Endless Divide Saga.

This leg of the journey features a mirror maze and a near death experience for Bandin.

## Mercenaries:

* Bandin Volward Deepburrow - Deep Gnome Rogue (Sponsor: Iron Boar of House Stars)
* Brutus Logjam - Half-Orc Barbarian (Sponsor: Briney Rickington III of House Stefarni)
* Darksteel - Fallen Aasimar Warlock
* Xane - Air Genasi Paladin / Cleric (Sponsor: Xilon Harkus Starrati of House Stars)
* Cornelius Braxton - Human Artificer (Sponsor: ? of House Stars)

## Adventure Summary:

**Day 79 (12% Caravan Supplies)** After a long rest in a safe room, the mercenaries enter a door to the east that they had not previously been in. Bandin unlocked the door and the group found a maze of mirrors, some of which were broken and shattered. An unknown ball of light appeared at the end of the hallway and approached the group. Leary of the orb, Brutus reached out and touched it with his greataxe. The orb disappeared, but then reappeared a short time later in a different area.

The group made their way down the mirror maze hall where they found an alcove of mirrors, as well as some broken mirrors. Brutus approached the alcove and found a humanoid in the reflection, but did not see anything in the physical space. Brutus attempted to speak with the reflection. The humanoid looked in Brutus' direction, and at that time the light orb popped into the alcove with Brutus and the humanoid reflection. Brutus saw the humanoid approach him and begin attacking, but Brutus did not feel anything. Brutus yelled out to the group about the reflections and attempted to attack it, but did not find purchase on a being. Brutus also tried to break a mirror to see if that was the source of its power, but it was not.

The group came to Brutus' aid and found that the creature, though only visible in the reflections, could in fact damage the group. After several attempts to attack the "ghosts," Brutus was able to find purchase and kill one (confirmed by seeing it in the reflection).

Bandin slipped by the ghosts and made his way further into the maze.

Darksteel cast the "shatter" spell, destroying mirrors in a section of the maze and hitting one of the light orbs which joined the fight and began shocking Darksteel and Xane. Darksteel transformed into a living nightmare to gain extra power to his attacks.

The group was able to defeat the ghosts in the immediate area and make their way further into the maze. Some of the members got lost and separated from each other.

Bandin made his way to an open area where he found strange writing on the wall which he recognized as similar to the writing on the metal warforged. While investigating these writings, Bandin was attacked by ghosts, which caused him to fall unconscious.

While Bandin was bleeding out, two light orbs floated through the walls to him. The group followed their path and found a lifeless Bandin with two glowing orbs floating above him. The group attempted to bring Bandin back to life healing spells, but nothing was able to revive him. Darksteel told the group he reached out to his Fey patron and asked for help to bring Bandin back from the dead. Brutus then reached down and gave Bandin his last healing berry. When Brutus touched Bandin he became paralyzed with some form of electricity that connected him to the light orbs and Bandin's body (like a Plasma Sphere). Cornelius then grabbed Brutus, causing the electric current to go through him. Xane reached out to try to heal Bandin, but pulled their hand back, breaking the current from themself and observing this strange phenomenon. Darksteel then reached out to Cornelius and he too received the electric current.

This current strengthened with Darksteel's connection. It siphoned out a portion of the life force of Brutus, Cornelius, and Darksteel, and transferred it into Bandin, who took a deep breath and came back to the land of the living. The orbs then disappeared and the area was found to be safe.

After Bandin came to, he retrieved the ruby from earlier and gave it to Darksteel as a thank you. Bandin was able to decipher the strange writing which read, "When the mind forgets, the heart remembers."

Amidst the shards of broken glass from mirrors, Bandin also found a small amount of the necessary purple sand spilling out from under the doorway in the room, which the group collected. The group returned to the entrance of this dungeon and took a well deserved rest.

## Outcome:

The mercenaries made there way through a maze of mirrors and located some purple sand, the second of the needed supplies.

## Adventure Rewards:

* Purple sand