**Session 1** The adventure began with the intrepid heroes [[Tyche Helikos]], [[Wilma Wimp]], and [[Caedus Darkfyre]] enjoying a quiet afternoon around a table in the common room of the [[Feather Bed Inn]] in the sleepy country town of [[Broadhurst]]. Their peaceful respite was abruptly interrupted when the inn's front door slammed open. The local blacksmith, [[Ashleigh]], stumbled inside, still clad in her soot-blackened smock. She was breathing heavily, and blood trickled from a wound on her forehead. Ashleigh rushed to a pair of adventurers seated nearby, desperately pleading for their aid. After a brief exchange, the two rose from their seats and departed, unwilling to help after concluding that the blacksmith could not afford their services. Left with no other option, Ashleigh turned to the heroes, fell to her knees, and begged for their assistance. Through panicked breaths, she explained that her daughter, [[Violet]], had been abducted by a horde of goblins. Without hesitation, the heroes accepted her plea and set out to rescue the missing girl. Ashleigh explained that she and Violet had been ambushed while traveling. The goblins had struck without warning, wounded her, and dragged Violet into the nearby [[Delian Tomb]]. Admitting that she was no warrior, Ashleigh remained behind and wished the party luck as they departed. Upon reaching the entrance to the Delian Tomb, the heroes quickly detected signs of an ambush. A small band of goblins lay in wait, hoping to catch them unaware. Having uncovered the trap before it could be sprung, the party dispatched the goblins with little difficulty before preparing to venture deeper into the crypt. Before entering, the heroes took a moment to examine the tomb's exterior. Its weathered stonework suggested it had been constructed many centuries earlier, likely during the height of the [[Caelian Empire]]. Chiseled into the stone above the entrance was the name [[Delius]], presumably the individual laid to rest within the ancient crypt. The heroes made their way into the structure. The first room of the tomb had been converted into a makeshift goblin living area, and a dozen goblins stood to face down the heroes. This is where the party met its first real resistance, or what would have been staunch resistance had Wilma Wimp not wreaked havoc in the goblin lines with her unconventional style of push-based warfare. After handily dispatching the goblins therein, the party looted the room and found three [[Healing Potions]], five ounces of [[Costmary Leaves]] and a [[Healing Potion Recipe|recipe in Caelian that describes how to make a healing potion]]. The heroes also noted that along the walls of this room there was an intricately carved fresco on the wall that depicted staving and wounded humans drinking from an ornate chalice that turned them into powerful, healthy warriors who battled a horde of demons. The heroes, with their knowledge of historical lore determined that the chalice shown was referred to as the [[Cup of Iulius]], a powerful relic lost more than a thousand years ago. Continuing forward the party came across a trap laid in the stonework of the tomb. Caedus deftly disarmed the trap and the party continued without incident. Upon entering the next room the party saw a large, red skull painted on the floor. In addition they saw several sarcophagi lining the walls and a statue of a proud human warrior holding a spear, built against the far wall. Not to be deterred the party walked in to the room, eager to rescue Violet. Upon making contact with the skull on the floor however, the coffins along the walls opened to reveal animated skeletal and zombified enemies. A fight ensued, only ending when Tyche blasted the skull sigil on the floor with a beam of holy energy. The skull erupted in flames and the undead turned to ash. Upon inspection after the battle, it was determined that behind the statue was a passage to another room. The party managed to carefully and quietly move the statue out of the way and made their way into the next room. In that next room the party found a number of goblin warriors, all arrayed around a large glowing energy field that covered a stairwell leading further into the tomb. In addition to the goblins there was also a bugbear, who was dressed in shamanistic garb and fetishes and who was channeling some kind of spell into Violet who was tied to a stone pillar in the room. As Violet thrashed against her bonds, the party saw that a stream of energy was being pulled from the blacksmith's daughter and into the barrier that protected the stairwell. The heroes charged into the room and fought valiantly to dispatch the goblin scourge and their bugbear leader, upon engaging the heroes in combat the bugbear bellowed something about stopping the heroes from interrupting [[Queen Bargnot|Queen Bargnot's]] plans. The battle was blow for blow, eventually coming down to just the bugbear and the party standing, and that did not last long as Caedus cut down the channeler with a stream of viscous magma earning himself the title of [[Violet's Savior]]. The party hurried to untie Violet who was now unconscious, but breathing. On their way out of the room the party looted the channeler and found the following: two [[Bloodbound Band|Bloodbound Band's]], two [[Volcanic Glass Lenses]] and [[Foesense Lenses Recipe|a recipe in Caelian that describes how to make Foesense Lenses]]. The party, Wilma specifically, carried Violet out of the tomb and reunited her with her mother, who could hardly contain her excitement and gratitude at having her daughter returned to her. As the group traveled back to Broadhurst Ashleigh expressed that though she wished she could pay the adventurers they were welcome in her home day and night and would be more than welcome to drop by and ask her any questions they may have about the town and its inhabitants. Additionally, Ashleigh was a skilled artisan and offered her services to the party in any projects they wished to undertake during their time in Broadhurst. The party bid farewell to the blacksmith and her daughter as they returned home. **Session 2** Upon saying goodbye to the pair, the party was approached by a robed human in his sixties with a friendly smile on his face. He introduces himself as [[Abbott Loric]] and is quick to thank the heroes for their work in rescuing Violet and inquired about their quest. The heroes detailed their adventure in the tomb and the ward that protects the next level. After the heroes bring up Queen Bargnot the Abbott remarks that a few decades ago the town, and region had been terrorized by a goblin queen of the same name. Everyone had assumed she had died long ago after the people of Broadhurst repelled her aggressions. He is surprised that her name came up, as she would be extremely old by goblin standards at this time. He told the heroes outright that he would prefer if the heroes were to get whatever was being protected in the tomb, lest it fall into evil hands. He once more heartily thanked the heroes for their assistance, and though the heroes had initial suspicions about the abbott, they quickly came to trust him and his earnest nature as a man of the Gods. He offered to walk with the heroes if they were interested in hearing more of the towns plights. The heroes agree and he tells them of the following issues in town: - The town's reeve [[Rosamund]] needs help looking into some thefts around town. - [[Vaughn]] the woodcutter is scared of bandits in the Silver Wood. - [[Mikael]] the carpenter was attacked by some kind of creature. - [[Harim]] is waiting for a shipment of leather that hadn't arrived. - [[Dunquat]] the stonemason is having trouble getting a shipment of stone from merchants in the inn. - [[Orson]] the charcoal burner is making a fuss about something or other. No one's sure exactly what. In addition to sharing the town's issues, the abbott offered his study and personal library to the party, if they have any need for the research materials therein during their stay in Broadhurst. He thanked the heroes once more for good measure and went about his business. The party returned to the Feather Bed Inn, where they already had rooms and upon entering the common room are waved down by a polder sitting at a table with four other people, all had the look of adventurers to them. As the party approached, the table of adventurers, one thing caught the eye, the ring worn by the wode elf. The polder introduced himself as [[Boddorf Buckfeather]] and the other members of his group as [[Targon]], [[Mara]], [[Illwyth]], and [[Gorek]]. They comprised a mercenary group known as the [[Gilded Hand]]. The party is initially standoffish with the Gilded Hand due to recognizing Targon and Mara as the two who refused help to Ashleigh previously. Boddorf apologized on behalf of his fellow mercenaries stating that they could not afford to take jobs that don't pay as they each had people to take care of back home. The polder then inquired as to their quest. The party explained in vague detail that they entered the tomb and defeated the goblins therein, rescuing Violet in the process. Boddorf is quick to congratulate the party for their accomplishments. Mara butted in very pointedly to ask if the heroes had managed to remove the ward that protects the next layer of the tomb. This fishing for information made the party wary but they confirmed that the stairway deeper into the tomb remained sealed. Mara was dismissive of any other information and did not reply to questions about why she was curious about the seal in the tomb. Caedus then asked why the Hand was just sitting around doing nothing instead of helping the townsfolk with their plentiful issues. Caedus pointed out that the shirtless dwarf Gorek, appeared ready to fight. The dwarf then challenged Caedus, who declined, and the dwarf went back to looking bored. Targon explained that the Hand was resting in Broadhurst after a successful campaign. Boddorf picked up the story and regaled the party with tale of clearing out the [[Cressan Tomb]] of cultists who worshiped the demon lord [[Aurumvas]]. Having had a moment to investigate it, the party determined that the ring worn by the quiet wode elf Illwyth was enchanted or magical in some way. Wilma inquired about the ring and the elf gives a non-committal answer and avoided follow up questions. Though the party did note that the elf now hid her hands as conversation continued. The party, now thoroughly suspicious of the Gilded Hand, parted ways with the mercenary group and went to their rooms to patch their wounds and rest after a long day of adventuring. During their downtime as they recovered from their quest, the party partook in various project works. Caedus worked on brewing health potions using the costmary leaves recovered in the tomb. He also set Ashleigh to work on crafting Foesense Lenses using the volcanic glass lenses discovered on the body of the bugbear channeler. Tyche researched what information she could find at the Abbott's library regarding means of entering the next level of the Delian Tomb. And Wilma went fishing. Obviously. After their day of respite, the party reconvened at the inn and spoke with the innkeeper [[Gweldyr]]. They spoke about the goings on in the town and in particular about Mikael being attacked. The innkeeper didn't seem convinced Mikael was telling the whole truth but urged the party to investigate anyway. The party set out and found the carpenter working away. After speaking with the party learned that he had set out to harvest wood as Vaughn the woodcutter was not doing so due to his fear of bandits in the woods. Mikael's search for wood had brough him to the south east, along the river. And just as he found a good set of trees to cut down he was attacked. Though he didn't get a good look at the attacker he described it as a big wolf. The wolf bit him several times and took a large chunk out of his thigh. He had barely made it back into town but was patched up by the abbott. The party wanted to investigate the wound but Mikael remarked that shockingly the wound was essentially done healing. The carpenter remarked that his surprise was shared by the abbott who also couldn't believe how healed he was. The party found this suspicious and wanted to investigate further. Mikael recommended the furrier [[Tansy]] as she had had some issues with traps being broken in that area lately. The party also decided to double check with the abbott that Mikael was telling the truth about his wound. They sought out the abbott who confirmed without a doubt that Mikael was wounded in the way he had described. The abbott initially would have been surprised if the carpenter was able to walk again let alone keep the leg after seeing his wound on the night of the attack, a few days ago. The abbott shared the party's suspicion that something wasn't right and remarked that he found it highly unlikely that a miracle should find its way into Mikael's lap of all places. The party then set out to the furrier. They met Tansy and inquired about her broken traps. Tansy confirmed she had several broken traps in the area Mikael had described. The party asked to see one of the broken traps and upon inspection confirmed not only was the trap certainly destroyed by an animal, it was also destroyed in a way that suggested that whatever broke it was intelligent. Tansy requested that the heroes bring back whatever it was that was doing the damage to her traps so she could skin it and mount its pelt.