"Sef... what do I do against a statue?"
"Call in a sculptor?" Tasha quips as she continues to stab at the animated artwork.
Tasha drives her blade deep into a chink in the statue’s body, then again. The construct crumbles into a pile of rubble!
Searching around this room, you notice a folded piece of parchment discarded amid the debris. The parchment contains an itemized list of several objects written in Amurrun, the language of catfolk, most of which have been crossed off.
The doors the statue was guarding open onto stairs leading down. There’s still a room on this level you haven’t explored yet though.
"Of course you are," Tasha says with a grin as she turns back to the door that will lead them to the other side of the complex where the unexplored door is.
The last room on this level contains only a scattering of splinters and a bookshelf with several tomes of Arodenite lore. A tall cabinet has fallen on its back, its doors missing and its interior filled with mosses and shredded cloth to serve as a nest. A spiral staircase to the northwest ascends.
A single xulgath mage is here, studying the books, along with her quasit familiar. The quasit turns invisible as you attack, and you make quick work of the mage.
Once the quick fight has ended, you can hear the quasit calling out. ”Givzib surrenders! Please, don’t hurt Givzib! Givzib is good friend, you’ll see!”
"How about Givzib goes home and leaves us alone," Tasha snaps out.
She turns to the others. "Downstairs then," she says and then turns to make her way back to the statue room.
”Givzib will tell you what she knows! Givzib was conjured by a xulgath demon‐caller named Kalagash. She was summoned right here in the temple many weeks ago, and the xulgaths were already here. Givzib knows that there are currently about two dozen xulgaths present, including four demon‐callers who usually work together but sometimes fight among themselves. They are spread out around this level and a lower level that Givzib doesn’t know well.
“There used to be more xulgaths, including a powerful priest of Zevgavizeb named Sarvel Ever‐Hunger, but Sarvel and many others left a while ago for tasks Givzib doesn’t wholly understand. Givzib knows that a female catfolk sometimes comes and goes through the bell tower that these stairs lead to. The catfolk occasionally brings humanoids with her that she gives to the xulgath demon‐callers as sacrifices to summon more demons. She also sometimes brings gifts, like the staff in this room.”
She gestures to a ringmaster’s staff leaning against one wall.
"She what?" Tasha questions with a start when the quasit begins talking about someone that sounds like Mistress Dusklight.
She looks up at the stairs.
"That's how she comes here, is it?"
”Yes, that’s what Givzib said,” Givzib says.
Not taking her eyes off the stairs, Tasha reaches out to take the staff and approaches and looks up the ascent.
"I want to find out where this goes," she says. "Tom could you come check it for traps?"
"Sure, Sef. On it."
Tom sneaks off up the stairs, checking for traps along the way.
Stairs worn smooth by countless footsteps traverse a dizzying spiral leading to a circular stone chamber. An enormous, cracked bronze bell buckles under the weight of the partially collapsed stone ceiling. The air seems to warp and shimmer, with tangles of thick cobwebs appearing over the rubble, then vanishing upon second glance. A desiccated xulgath corpse hangs in the room, suspended in midair by the ephemeral webs.
Tom realizes the corpse is a trap! Anybody touching or disturbing it will cause it to split open and release something hazardous contained inside.
After a few moments, Tom comes down the stairs.
"uhhh.. Grelda? Ruine? There's a body filled with spiders up there.. I didn't want to get too close, or I'd be covered in spiders and I don't know what to do about it frankly."
"They're just spiders, right?" Tasha says, impatient to find out where the stairs go. "How bad could it be?"
Grelda follows Tom up the stairs and attempt to use her magic to neutralize the trap. Unfortunately, fate has other plans. The corpse bursts, releasing a cloud of etheric crystals!
Grelda coughs as she is temporarily overwhelmed but she is able to overcome the poisonous crystals quickly. ”This nest must have been made by ether spiders. Fortunately it doesn’t seem as if they are home.”
A few strange items are encased in a gauzy knot of webbing under the bell. The cache includes a tree feather token, a candy constrictor wondrous figurine, and a pair of broken spectacles with a bone frame. If repaired, the spectacles are worth 10 gp.
The old bell tower is Moonstone Hall’s tallest point. In fact, it is taller than the cavern in which Moonstone Hall now rests, so the bell tower is incorporated into the structure of the city above and now forms part of the basement of an abandoned pottery shop‐turned‐drug den. Only the bricks in the floor and crumbled remnants of the bell tower’s former walls show where the bell tower ends and the basement begins.
You feel stronger for your recent experiences and more prepared for the challenges to come.
Having had many battles and exhausted most of your magical resources, you head back to the circus camp to rest before returning to Moonstone Hall tomorrow.
Tom sees Ashlion and Grelda headed back to their shared wagon and interrupts before they can disappear for the night. His hair is combed and his cloths are clean.
He stifles a smile at Ashlion before speaking. "Grelda? You didn't happen to talk with Emma, did you? Do I look ok? Do I SMELL ok? I chewed mint leaves after I got dressed, do girls like that sorta thing? Should I bring a gift?"
"I think I should just go to bed...
Grelda reaches out to adjust Tom’s collar. ”You look, and smell, very nice. You don’t need a gift. Just relax. Be yourself. Smile. You’ll do fine.”
Tom takes a deep steadying breath before hugging Grelda tightly before running off.
"Thank you, tanti!"
A few moments later Tom knocks on Emma Flamboni's wagon door, nervously shuffling his feet.
The door opens after a few moments to reveal Emma Flamboni. The auburn-haired half-elf against the doorframe and crosses her arms. ”Why, if it isn’t Somber Tom. To what do I owe the pleasure of this twilight visit?”
"uh... Hi Emma! It's really nice out tonight, would you want to go for a walk? ...with me?
Emma smiles. ”That sounds lovely, Tom. Let me grab my coat.”
The door closes, and Tom can hear some whispers and giggles inside the wagon. After a few minutes, Emma emerges, coat donned, and offers her arm to Tom.
"I thought it would be nice go eat at a tavern. Have you eaten?"
It takes time, but Tom relaxes and opens up a bit with his date, staying out too late.
Well after midnight, Tom escorts Emma back to her wagon, and leans in for a kiss goodnight.
Ruinë advises Tom to stay away from the spiced wine before he goes out on his date.
She performs her prayers as the sun sets before heading into her own wagon, finding Tasha inside. She asks "Are you feeling alright from our adventure today? Do you require any additional healing before I prepare for bed?"
Finding none, she nods and puts her possessions away and climbs into bed and preparing to go to sleep.
"No, I'm fine," Tasha replies. "Were you serious about ... uh ... sketching me?"
Ruinë sits up and turns to Tasha "I've never really tried to draw much." she admits, being honest. "But if there is ever anything I would sketch, it would be you."
She folds her hands in her lap, thinking. "If we can go into town tomorrow, perhaps I can pick up some supplies and try it out. You can't get mad at me if it's terrible, okay?"
Tasha laughs. "I would never judge something you do in that manner," she says. She disrobes and climbs into the bed as well. "I look forward to seeing me how you see me." With one hand she pulls the half-elf back down to the bed and pulls her in close as the little spoon. She kisses the woman's neck softly before wrapping an arm around Ruinë's waist. "Now go to sleep and have pleasant dreams."
"Alright, then I will try it tomorrow after I get supplies. I hope it will not be terrible." she says with a frown.
Ruinë's muscles tense when Tasha places her lips on her neck, her mind instantly full of thoughts of having to punish herself for tempting Tasha to touch her. "Goodnight to you as well, Tasha."
Emma gives Tom a chaste peck on the lips. ”I had fun. It’s a good start, Tom. Play your cards right and you might get more next time. Night night!” She winks and disappears into her wagon.
***
The next day, you return to Moonstone Hall. The statue of Aroden has magically repaired itself, though it appears more damaged than before. Having destroyed it once, you make quick work of it the second time, then descend the stairs it was guarding.
Smooth stone stairs, worn down by countless generations of footsteps, wind downward to an intersection of hallways adorned with dusty rugs and ornamented with symbols of winged eyes. Discarded bones, bits of broken weapons, and an awful smell all provide evidence of recent xulgath occupation.
As you are getting your bearings, a ghostly figure floats down the hall towards you! He appears to be an elderly human man in flowing green and yellow robes. A moonstone circlet rests on his brow.
”Why have you come to this place?” he demands peevishly.
"We're here to cleanse this temple of the vile lizard-things that have taken up residence here," Tasha snaps. She seems particularly out of sorts this morning.
”Good!” the ghost harrumphs. ”I am Ulthadar. I am the high priest who oversaw Moonstone Hall’s construction many lifetimes ago. Destroy these reptilian invaders who have tarnished the sanctity of this place, and in exchange, you may keep whatever baubles you come across. At least a dozen or more of the foul creatures dwell here. Eradicate them!”
"Glad we have your permission," Tasha says with a smirk.
Grelda takes a more deferential tone. ”High Priest, we are happy to assist. What can you tell us of the moonstone pools here? We have cleansed the one upstairs. And do you know anything about the aeon towers?”
Ulthadar crankily points to the door to the east. ”Scholars put their knowledge into books, you’ll find. Start there, and we will speak again later.” With that, the ghost vanishes.
You could head east to the door her indicated, or you can go west or north.
"He seems nice."
Then he puts his finger to his lips, making a light 'shoosh' sound before sneaking off to the north.
Faded tapestries adorn the walls of this dining hall. Two oak tables occupy the room, and the polished wooden floorboards are warped in places. Two tarnished gold candlesticks worth 15 gp each stand on one of the tables.
Several doors and halls lead away from this central room. Tom goes west into a kitchen. A large stone fireplace occupies the kitchen’s northwestern corner. Remnants of charred wood and ashes rest in the hearth beneath a cast‐iron cauldron. A dozen pans and skillets dangle from hooks. The kitchen is remarkably clean.
The south door leads to a pantry, where a few withered bundles of desiccated herbs and glass jars filled with gray, viscous sludge stand on wooden shelves built into the western wall. Through the west door is a room filled with the strong smell of spilled wine. Puddles of wine cover the floor amid smashed bottles. Tom discovers an empty bottle that contains a small, sealed vial with a potion of quickness.
Returning to the dining hall, Tom follows the left hall north to a door. He cautiously peeks through. Deep recesses are carved into the stone walls of this room, although most are empty. Above each is a brass plaque. Splintered wood, broken glass, prayer beads, dried bones, and other debris are heaped in large piles. A xulgath picks through the debris, while an enormous vulturelike demon watches on. Luckily, neither notices Tom yet.
Tom comes back to the group looking shaken.
"Sef, another demon... and it's BIG."
Turning to Ashlion, Ruinë casts a spell on him to help him in the upcoming battle against the demon. "You are already brave, Ashlion, but I shall bestow an additional blessing on you to help give you an edge."
"And I shall quicken you, that you might crush your foes with alacrity," Grelda addds, casting haste on Ashlion just before he kicks the door open! The xulgath and demon shriek in surprise!
Tom eyes the xulgath through the kicked in door before carefully taking aim!
While his last shot may not connect, his first two knives stick into his target with a satisfying accuracy!
Moving up beside as many as she can, Ruinë casts bless and grants her allies additional offensive assistance.
Tasha races into the room to assist Ashlion with the demon, tumbling past the creature to stab at it from behind.
Grelda telkinetically hurls a jagged rock at the xulgath!
Tom hurls his knives, two striking critical spots and leaving bleeding wounds behind. Grelda finishes the xulgath with a shard of rock to the throat!
Tasha tumbles behind the demon but fails to hit it. Ashlion charges in and misses with his first swings, but he critically hits with his backswing, knocking the demon down!
The demon lets out a shrill screech that threatens to stun you! Then it casts a spell, surrounding itself with mirror images.
Tom {A}moves in behind Ashlion and throws his pretty little knives once again!