Session 11: Brains....

Date: Apr 1st, 2025

Summary

The party concluded their time in Saint Brenna's crypt with an unexpected but touching tribute, singing Silent Night as they laid her remains to rest. They carefully arranged the candles and ensured everything was properly placed. During their final inspection, they discovered a life-sized hand carved into the crypt wall, which emanated both conjuration and transmutation magic. The symbol proved to be connected to the god Tyr, specifically an aspect known as Iltyr - described as a blind but all-seeing eye that appeared as a weeping black eyeball with a prehensile tail. Syndle investigated by licking the wall, while Syndle touched the symbol and placed their eye against it, receiving a divine message about "believers in resounding justice" and the cryptic instruction to "follow the hands to find the eye." Despite searching the room thoroughly, no other hand symbols were found. Katya Braun and Marcel expressed some displeasure with the party's conduct involving one of the Old Gods. As the party approached the winch room, they encountered knights in the crypt including Sir Gusta Lagos, who wore silver armor similar to Sir Brynn Landry's. The encounter revealed a schism between the Lion's Thorn Legion and Silver Order knights, though Sir Brynn vouched for the party as his liberators. When Lagos demanded information about a missing scepter, Katya Braun cleverly lied about its whereabouts. The situation was diffused when Lagos decided to take Sir Brynn and his men to Camp Dawn. The party then discussed their next moves, with Katya Braun and Marcel deciding to return to Champions Gate to report their findings about Saint Brenna. They needed to locate flowers in Queen's Park, deep in the city between the Inscrutable Tower and Castle Drakken. They had five remaining doses of Deep Haze protection, having given one to the Amethyst Academy. The Silver Order's lack of their own gate was noted as a potential source of future conflict= with the Falling Fire. Their plans were interrupted when they encountered a terrifying Brain Collector pursuing street children through the city. The creature, described as crab-like with exposed brain orbs and eyes on its legs, demonstrated frightening abilities including invisibility and powerful leaps. It tragically killed a young girl, extracting her brain before turning its attention to the party. During the ensuing battle, Xakaris fell victim to both a hypnotic pattern spell and the Brain Collector's lethal brain extracting attack. In a desperate bid to save their companion, the party defeated the creature and recovered Xakaris's brain. Oiroa attempted an innovative solution, using valuable delirium instead of the traditional diamond for a revivify spell. The substitution produced unexpected results - an octarine burst that triggered reactions in nearby delirium deposits. While Xakaris was revived and his brain restored, something seemed distinctly wrong about his resurrection, leaving the party uncertain about the consequences of their unconventional magic.