Session 4 - S0E5 - Black Waters

#### Introduction

Meeting with Allissa Moldreserva - (Galatean (spicy meatballs)) in the grand lodge

Beldron's bluff: "gem of the precpice quarter" - High society area of Absolom destroyed by a great earthquake. Half the bluff slid into the sea. Ghost town now.

Academy remained on the mainland but all students perished by crush or drowning. Lost necropolis underneath the academy.

Delving into the necropolis - could be rich with treasures (coastal necropolis of legend)

Two finger ring with a ruby salamander.

Alissa doesn't like us because we're 1st and 2nd level pathfinders.

Drownyard gate - iron key - we need to treat the drownyard with respect for the dead children.

In poking around, we caught the attention of a wealthy family. Aegnor gets a wax sealed parchement. - Letter from Lady Miranda Dacilane: Tri-towers yard. Daughter Junia (not Julia) died in the earthquake. Invitation to banquet at Dacilane Estate in the Ivy District.

Some people pick up courtier outfits and jewelry for the party.

#### Dacilane Party

Banquet: Long table with nobles down the sides. Skaar has his 6-ft sword and offers to give Lady Miranda his sword. Amazing food that costs more than our armor. Skaar had 5 game hens. Lots of booze.

End of banquet: Formal introductions between the nobles and guests. We meet Lady Dacilane. Classy lady with cleavage and lots of jewlry.

Junia was one of hundreds of children lost under the rubble. She says that someone should have stopped the disaster. Blames town watch and government. Massive portrait of Junia over the dining hall.

Junia was 13 in a dark blue dress in portrait. Perished at 13 and the disaster was 10 years ago. Junia had been promised a fine horse for her 14th birthday. Junia had a variety of jewelry.

Some of the children (not Junia) told ghost stories in the corridor of the school.

Aegnor bought a snorkel, a fancy outfit and some holy water.

Aegnor and Ash buy holy water and give to Skaar. Aegnor gives Skaar a CLW potion.

We wait until morning to go to Beldron's Bluff.

#### Beldron's Bluff

In the yard: We approach the gate and see a man inside cutting down dead trees with a saw. We unlock the gate, and the man approaches with a friendly demeanor. The man is Deris Marlinchen, daughter attended the school. He had a key.

Deris is saying that he is a hero and saved a bunch of the children and teachers (crazy eyes). Castiel is his daughter with curly blonde hair. Deris doesn't know Junia. He will introduce us to Castiel if we can find her. Mrs Herricks was a history teacher, and Deris introduces us.

Winding paths through the grounds with ruined halls scattered about. We see wreaths and blooming flowers inside the children's dormitory.

Mrs. Herrick's classroom: 10 students sitting at desks with a teacher, nobody moving. Translucent/transparent bodies. When Deris enters the room, the classroom comes to life. Deris can talk to Msr. Herrick, but in silence. Mrs. Herrick knows of Junia, and used a corridor beneath the school as a clubhouse, and she will take us there.

Mrs. Herrick leads us to a dark black pond (waist deep) and points. Aegnor detects magic over the entire grounds and a link between Deris and Mrs. Herrick. Aegnor sees a human arm sticking out of the pond. He casts mage hand to pull on the arm. Joe yanks on it pretty hard. A 6 legged giant beetle come up from the bottom of the pond.

#### Fight #1: Giant Water Bug

Water bug skims across the water and bites Skaar for serious damage, rendering him unconscious. Aegnor pours a CLW potion down his throat just in time for him to wake up and bring his great sword down onto the bug cutting deep into the bug's thorax. Wulfbaella rushes in and drive his lance into the gaping would and through the other side, killing the bug.

Skaar wades into the pond to retrieve the arm. The arm is fresh and had white egg sacks attached to to it. Skaar squishes the egg sacks. The arm is holding a handle. Skaar yanks on the handle and it pops open a hatch, as the pond drains widdershins. Skaar flexes as the pond drains around him.

Deris runs toward the hatch because he wants to see his daughter. Skaar catches him.

Aegnor sends down some dancing lights. Ladder leading down into the hatch ends at the end of a corridor.

#### The Necropolis

Skaar drops in first. Down a stairwell there is an intersection. Straight ahead there are more stairs that lead down into a dark pool. Left there is a hallway with a door at the end that is ajar. Beyond the door is a room with a high vaulted ceiling and wings off to either side.

Ash sneaks inside and goes east, he finds the perfectly preserved body of a young boy. Ash searches the boy and finds a journal. Searches west and finds nothing. Deris plows into the room and Skaar grabs his collar again.

Krawling through the necropolis Skaar turns left, and Ash goes straight. Ash starts crunching on bones of human remains. This room also has nooks with human remains and a mural of a battle scene. There are 12 children sitting in center of the room telling scary stories silently. Everyone joins Ash. When Deris enters the room he sees Castiel and she is the one telling the stories. Kids are transparent.

Deris asks Castiel about Junia, but Castiel just carries on like she doesn't hear him.

Ash goes North and there is a stairwell with a bunch of ghouls coming down. They are emanating a horrible stench.

#### Fight #2: Ghouls

Ash retreats back into the room. Ghoul comes down the stairs and bites Skaar. A second ghoul comes down and claws at Aegnor and paralizes him. A 3rd ghoul is waiting on the stairs. Wulfbaella lances the first ghoul for heavy damage. Skaar steps into the fray and rages. Attacking the 2nd ghoul, killing him.

Ash steps up to the 1st ghoul with his dual masterwork wakizashis and finish him off. The 3rd ghoul advances and damages the paralyzed Aegnore further. Wulfbaella rides up and injures the 3rd ghoul. Skaar kills the 3rd ghoul. Still raging Skaar opens the westward door.

Going through the door, we head down more stairs and hear waves crashing beyond a door. We pop that door open and find a large room with 5 alcoves. Aegnor returns with his want of infernal healing saying "what's up guys".

#### Fight #3: Ghast

Skaar goes into an algove and meets a Ghast that fucks him up with a bite, paralyzing him. Aegnor casts burning hands and damages the ghoul. Ash steps in and slices the ghoul. Wulfbaella pours a CLW potion into Skaar. The Ghoul claws Skaar again killing him dead. Aegnor sends burning hands to the ghoul killing the ghoul.

#### Wrapup:

We open a sarcophogus (NW alcove) and find a corpse that looks like Junia. There is a ruby ring on her finger. Looking closely we see that that she is still alive and breathing. Wulfbaella gives her a CLW potion and she recovers a little. Nothing else of note in the other alcoves.

We return to the surface with the little girl and call in the noble clerics. We get the ring off her finger. The clerics revive Junia.

The dark magic within the necropolis kept things alive or reanimated things including the young girl who would have starved to death. She crawled into the sarcophogus to take a nap.

The journal that Ash recovered was from Grishin Malgress, younger brother of Colson Malgress leader of the Andoran faction of the Pathfinder Society.

Lady Dacilane's opinion of us changed. To thank us for saving her daughter, she pays for a cleric to restore Skaar to life.