Session 009 - The Search

Reunited with Opalneria after escaping from the rift thanks to the help of the unknown elven woman, the party discuss what their next move should be.
They decide to travel back to `Gray Falls Lodge` to hopefully meet the leader of that Pathfinder's branch and see if they have any information to help bring Ivan and Amoretta back to their plane.
They leave the swamp to rest for the night, quiet from the stress of their journey and uncertain of how to rescue their friends.

## Sarenith 16th, 4724

After two days of travel, the party returns to the lodge and find the leader `Sayrin Firewyne`.
They learn that her mission to find a way to freely travel to the `First World` ended with a fraction of the original group returning safely.
She leads them further in the building towards the branch's library while discussing more of their impromptu journey into a realm they did not recognize.
Searching through a book of the realms, they find a diagram of the various planes and how they interact with each other.
That diagram leads them to believe that they were in the `Dreamlands`, a portion of the `Ethereal Plane` where souls wander while they dream.
-# .

The group eventually finds three avenues they can pursue for rescuing Ivan and Amoretta:
- Find a `Night Hag` and make a deal since they specialize in traversing the Ethereal Plane
- Ask a powerful spellcaster to help them shift planes
- Investigate the fey in the northern forest since they frequently travel between planes.
Before leaving, Sayrin asks them to investigate a forest temple to the west that should contain an artifact that'll help her launch another investigation into the forest.
Considering that a follow-up investigation could result in some of Sayrin's companions that are more knowledgeable about planar travel and perhaps establishing a connection with a fey, they agree to investigate while they are on their way to `Bacul Gruii` to see how they villagers they rescued are faring.
-# .

## Sarenith 18th, 4724

Two days of travel bring them to Bacul Gruii, or at least what remains of it.
The town looks to have been ravished recently with multiple houses featuring destroyed doors and windows.
They find Zogla and her younger brother Zahir arguing vehemently between themselves.
As the only two residents remaining, Zogla wants to leave and find somewhere else to setup shop.
Zahir however wants to stay, rebuild the town, and protect is as he feels he ought to do.
A sentiment that elicits a minor reaction from Athe; a reaction Kat plans to address when she finds the time for it.
-# .

As they continue to discuss, they find that Zahir is mostly concerned with rescuing Zogla's tools from the hands of those that ransacked the village while they were gone.
The party proposes a compromise wherein they will try to find the bandits and retrieve Zogla's tools, after which the siblings will find somewhere safer to reside.
Everyone agrees and the party leads the way while Opal, Zogla, and Zahir follow from a safe distance.
Athe leads the way as she follows the tracks left by the brigands, grateful that they are traveling in the same direction as the temple they need to investigate.
-# .

The sound of rhythmic whistling reaches them before the sight of the fort does.
Aware that they may be coming upon the bandits, the group tries to approach the stone walls stealthily.
Upon the walls, they spy a lone man keeping watch and while he whistles.
He notices the large form of Avoh and The Austere next to him and demands he come no further.
The Austere speaks at great length with the man about anything and everything he can think of, distracting the man enough that the other are able to slink at the base of the wall and out of the sentry's sight.
Athe and Thaniel continue sneaking around the walls while Kat stays hidden closer The Austere.
-# .

Athe and Thaniel sneak around to the far side of the fort and peak in to find the bandits, each of which are carrying instruments that appear to be brand new.
While Athe is trying to spot some location where Zogla's tools may be, Thaniel is discovered by the bandits and introduces himself as a mercenary who came by to investigate a nearby ruin but decided to check out the music he had heard coming from the fort.
He continues to engage them in conversation, learning that they are bards that fled from `Pitax` and are out of a job.
He proposes they head to Gralton so they can be recruited to perform for the masquerade ball that will be held in the coming weeks.
After some time and convincing, the bards grab what gear they have and exit the fort.
-# .

With the fort empty, the party search the place but cannot find the smithy tools.
The presume they were sold along with the rest of the plundered items to purchase the new instruments the bandits held.
Now in ownership of an empty fortress, Athe proposes using it as a central base that she can officiate.
With all in agreement, they then invite Zogla and Zahir to setup shop there.
They day has stretched long and they all spend the night within protection of the fortress.
-# .

## Sarenith 19th, 4724

Before setting out for the temple, Opalneria decides to stay behind in the fort while the other four continue.
When they arrive at the temple, they find the stone slab of a door sealed shut and flanked by twin braziers in adjacent offshoot rooms.
After some time of trial and error, the party open the door and begin their exploration.
They find apathetic zombies, hostile boggards, and a small magical pool that both blessed The Austere and pained Thaniel.
They navigate a maze after fighting a stone golem and surviving a trapped chest rigged with an incantation of Fireball before finding the deepest room of the temple.
-# .

The large and dark room they find themselves in is filled with contraptions and various specimens contained within mysterious vats.
The largest of the vats stands at the far end of the room and contains what appears to be a larger and distorted version of Avoh.
From investigating the room, they learn that Severus has taken up his true name of `The Venerable` and has made this temple one of his laboratories to work towards his goal of resurrecting his empire.
What's more, the artifact that they were sent to find had been here before it was moved to another of his labs.
Rather, in this lab he has been experimenting with the `Structure Gel` developed by The Austere to produce the prototype construct suspended in the vat before them and has nearly completed his research.
Realizing that he plans to return in the coming days to finish this research, the party decides to destroy the prototype after gathering whatever materials and research could benefit with The Austere's own research.
-# .

They prepare themselves for the coming battle as the glass of the vat begins to crack.
The battle is fierce as they emerge victorious, but they are given no time to celebrate as the lab is preparing to self-destruct and they must make their escape immediately.
As the temple crumbles upon itself, the group travel back to the fortress, no closer to rescuing Ivan and Amoretta than when they left and now with a greater understanding of The Venerable's plan to rule the realm.