Temple of Doom

## Introduction

*Quarion sat in the* Fallen Sun *across from the professor.* "I'll fill in the group heading to the temple and then head into the room to meet with the others going to find her. Don't worry Ben, we will find her." *Professor Ashencrown gave a slight nod, the look of concern visible on even his desiccated face. He got up and left the room, patting a small pseudodragon laying on a stool by the door. When the door was closed, Quarion got to work, laying out a map, and a setting up the chairs around the table. He sat in a chair and waited for the others to arrive, going over his own notes as a knock is heard.*

## Expedition Summary

The party, consisting of Mollie, Amranth, Moss, and Sniv, find themselves in the *Fallen Sun*, sitting at a table with Quarion at the head. He informs them that a temple has been found close to the border of Daruun, and that it mentions an entity known as Denkavol, The Mother of Fungus. He believes that this is the same entity that Mollie and her group encountered when they went to go find Professor Ashencrown. He informs them that they are being sent to investigate it, and that he will not be joining them, as he has his own mission from the professor. He warns them that they should be wary, as it seems Morgrave University has also taken interest in the temple as well. He then informs them that a contact of his will meet them at the lightning rail and escort them to Ardev, and from there they will catch a caravan to the ruins. The party is then left to make any preparations for the next four hours before they need to catch their rail, while he goes to meet with the rest of his team.

At the rail station, the party encounters a gnome named Halri, a member of House Sivis. She informs them them that their are indeed Morgrave representatives on the rail, but they have not divulged if they are going to the ruins or not. She also lets them know that the ruins are being watched by a couple of ogres, and that no one has opened the door yet. After an awkward exchange about the stability of the connectors of the rail cars, the party boards the lightning rail.

In the dining car later that night, the party meets the Morgrave group, thanks to the drunken actions of the group's leader. It consisted of their leader Arkantos, a young artificer named Alissa, a healer named Braddick, and elf named Renockus. After Braddick dragged the drunken Arkantos away, Renockus let it be known that he knew Quarion and Professor Ashencrown. He also feels them in more about the ruins. They had been discovered by a scouting patrol that worked for one of the smaller warlords, one that had previous encounters with the Foundation. Soon after the lightning rail came to an unexpected stop. Arkantos had attempted to derail it, and stop the Foundation party from reaching the ruins. He had also hired a group of mercenaries to kill any other survivors. The party dispatched the mercenaries and working together were able to temporally get the rail moving again, arriving at their destination, the city of Ardev.

When the party arrived in Ardev, they soon found Arkantos attempting to pass himself off as a Wayfinder representative. After a brief chase, Arkantos reviled that he was an agent of the Fungus Mother, killing and turning one of the guards in the process. After a brief fight, the party put down Arkantos and the turned guard before they could do more damage. With the arrival of the watch, Renockus took full responsibility, being arrested in the process, but allowing the party as well as Alissa and Bradick to continue to the ruins.

At the ruins the party encountered a tiefling and the two ogres they had been informed about. They were informed of what happened to the last person that tried to enter the complex that wasn't them. They were then asked for a letter of introduction to prove who they said they were, which the caravan leader produced. The party then learned that the reason that the door had not been opened was do to a puzzle lock on the door. The party soon opened it and entered the ruins, only to be sealed inside separating them from Alissa and Braddick. The party encountered multiple puzzle rooms, each telling part of the story of Denkavol. The eventually arrived in a room where they fought four guardian statues, two that could use magic and two that attacked with heavy chains. After dispatching them, a door in front of them lead to a dark room.

Inside the room the party encountered a sphinx that was acting as a seal for Denkavol. The act of doing such also infected her with Denkavol's spores, making her appear as one of the plant creatures. The sphinx informed the party that she was one of seven creatures like herself, but that she was the first, and that because she was sealed first, she did not know where the others were. She pointed the party to a location that was one of the major fortification of the group that sealed the Fungus Mother away. However, this location was to be found in what is now the Mournlands. She also pointed the party to a store of weapons that was hidden in the complex, in one of the previous puzzle rooms. As the party left her, she gave the party an ominous warning. "Beware the snakes." After recovering the weapons, the party returned outside to find that their supplies had been ransacked and Alissa and Braddick were nowhere to be found.

The party followed the trail and soon found what they discovered to be Braddick's remains, desiccated and covered in a black mushroom. Soon after the party was attacked by fungus covered snakes, though they were able to defeat them, though Amranth and Sniv are bitten. They treated themselves with the salt water, learning just how important it is. The party continued to follow the trail into a cave. They soon came upon Alissa, her arm crushed under a boulder. After getting the boulder off of her, they attempted to leave the cave. They were cut of however by two large fungal dog creatures. Mollie carried Alissa out of the cave, dodging the creatures as she passed. Almost as if in retaliation, one of the creatures breathed out a cone of fungal spores at the party. Moss and Amranth were able to avoid the worst of the spores, Sniv however is caught in the dead center of the cloud, and breaths in a large portion of them. With Mollies return after hiding Alissa, the party was able to defeat the creatures. After this, the party rested and attempted to call back the caravan. Though there were a couple of magical mishaps, they succeeded. They then met up with Halri in Ardev and debriefed her on what they learned. Meanwhile, in her liar, the sphinx continued to weaken. She had hidden from the party that her time was almost up.

## Epilogue

*Cassandra, Quarion, and Professor Ashencrown sit around a table, reading Halri's report.* "Of all the places, the Mournlands?" *The professor says looking at the others. Quarion unrolls a map that Halri sent with the report.* "Yeah, and I have a bad feeling I know where. Cass, is that the place?" *Quarion says, pointing at the map. Cassandra's face turns white.* "Yeah. Thats it." *She nods.* "That's where he was killed."
*Quarion lets out a sigh.* "Of course it was. What about the material of the weapons they found? Anything on that?" *The professor shakes his head*
"Its an alloy, and the samples I have don't seem to like it very much. We may need to go to experts for more information on it though."
*Quarion nods.* "Right, so then we go to house Cannith. How soon do you want to charter an expedition into the Mournland?"
*The professor shakes his head.* "Your going to have to do it, though I can back it." *He places a letter in front of Quarion. It has the Wayfinders seal on it. Quarion opens it and reads it.*

> *Dear Professor Ashencrown,*
>
>

> *This letter is to inform you that while we have appreciated your patronage in the past, the Wayfinder's Foundation will no longer be dealing with you directly. We feel that it is in the best interest of the foundation not to affiliate ourselves directly with someone of your condition. Thank you for your understanding.*
>
>

*Quarion lets out another sigh.* "Well, at least they said directly. Let me know what you want to do Ben. I'll act as a mediator." *The professor nods.* "Okay, so Cass. Tell us what you remember about the ruins."

*In her chamber at the bottom of a temple, a sphinx sits alone in a dark room, the oil that once lit it now burned away. She gentle pulls at the chains tied to the collar around her neck. She then looks at the map engraved on the wall.* "I hope you find your answers young ones. And I hope you do so soon." *The sphinx lets out a yawn, a cloud of spores leaving her mouth as she does.* "I am tired young ones. So very tired." *The sphinx lays down, its eyes wide open staring at the map, trying to continue its fight for another day*