25 Illumination 508

The party is in the altar room with the double-doors shut against the gate room. Furfur flies back to Mõrvar’s shoulder. Brother Thorne indicates the bloody skeletons standing eerily still with Surm and asks “What manner of abominations are these?”

Surm explains that he used the scroll they found in the scriptorium to raise the skeletons in the gate room to help against the Gibbering Mouther. “Can you not put them back?” asks the priest. Surm cannot. Then the priests readies himself and offers to put them to rest. Surm asks him to stay his hand, citing the practicality of having more hands to haul loot out of the pyramid and to fight creatures should the need arise. Everyone else in the party agrees with Surm. The priest is clearly not happy, but acquiesces.

Next the party discusses and catalogs the gear found on the skeletons and how to divvy it up. On one of the skeletons is a silver ring, which Surm gives to Mõrvar. Both experience a profound loss of experience when handle the ring. Surm puts on the ring and hears a female voice converse with him in Tradespeak in his head. “You’re not Matyas. . .” The ring, which is called Ilona, seems saddened by the loss of Matyas. It comes out that Surm doesn’t “feel right”, that he is “too bound”. The ring allows its bearer to hide. Finally Surm takes off the ring and gives it to Savaric. He, on the other hand, “feels right”. Apparently his alignment is more to Ilona’s liking.

Surm tries on the lightweight armor on one of the skeletons and wills himself to fly, and flies about the high-ceilinged room. He also tries on the broad belt found on one of the skeletons and feels his strength increase by a significant amount. They already know about Edgefrost, having secured that weapon during the fight with the Mouther.

After a debate about who should get what, it is decided to “draw straws”. Rilka gets the armor, Surm gets the sword, Mõrvar gets the belt, and Savaric gets the ring. Surm gives Savaric the sword Edgefrost to fight with during their time in the pyramid.

Mõrvar then has a brief conversation with Furfur. He asks the raven who named him. The bird shrugs. “Are you from this world?” The bird winks at him. “Do you know how to destroy the pentagram?” The bird caws “No!” and hops from foot to foot.

Finally, the party returns to the large, lavish bedroom and begins to search it again when another Shadow creature attacks. Brother Thorne calls upon the light of Halor and attacks the Shadow, but also inadvertently kills one of Surm’s skeletons. Mõrvar finally slays the creature after it attacks and injures the priest. Surm has one of the skeletons carry its fallen comrade and the party continues to make its way toward the staircase leading out of the upper level of the pyramid. They have gathered all of the rugs from the bedroom and rolled them up, hoping to sell them at market in Jenna.

On the spiral staircase, the party is accosted by yet another Shadow. Once again, the priest calls upon the power of his god and two more skeletons fall. This time Savaric deals the final blow to the Shadow.

Finally, the party makes it to the second level and barricades themselves into one of the bedrooms to camp for the night. After about an hour, to the disgust of Brother Thorne and the fascinated delight of Surm and Mõrvar, the skeletons that fell in battle rise again. Furfur laughs, his cackles echoing in spacious room.

26 Illumination 508

The party gathers up their rugs and takes them downstairs towards the first level of the pyramid. Furfur keeps looking back at the priest and the skeletons and snickering. However, Mõrvar is surprised by a Shadow creature on the staircase and is touched by its cold fingers. Savaric eventually takes it out. They take the rugs to the entryway of the pyramid and shut the front door of the pyramid. They then travel downstairs to the treasure room to gather the treasures there and return to the entryway door. Miraculously, they make this journey unaccosted by Shadows.

Calculating the time between now and nightfall, the party decide that they don’t want to be caught in the jungle at night, so they decide to spend the rest of the day and night encamped in the entry way of the pyramid. Savaric and Ilona talk in his head for much of the day.

27 Illumination 508

The party rises bright and early and leaves the city down the broad avenue by which they entered. They find the hacked trail they left through the jungle and follow it through much of the day to their base camp, arriving on the beach around sundown.

The camp is much as they left it, if a bit dirtier and damper.

30 Illumination 508

Food stores are starting to run low and the party is speculating on the effects of half rations. Fortunately, near sunset, they see a ship out on the horizon. It is The Blackmore Lady. A rowboat makes its way to shore with the first mate, Dunamaer, at the helm. She helps them load their gear and booty into the rowboat.

Finally, Brother Thorne summons the light of Halor upon the skeletons, bearing them all low. He then takes out a flask of holy water and sprinkles it upon their bones, ensuring that they will not rise again.

They all load into the rowboat, with Furfur on the prow, and head to the ship.

The captain welcomes them aboard and turns the ship toward Jenna.

3 Ardor 508

At the port in Jenna, the party has a distasteful encounter with the port authority where they are charged hefty import duties on their booty, as imports for sale. However, it is an indication of the sheer amount of booty they have. Upon disembarking, Rilka, Surm, Savaric, and Brother Thorne head to the temple of Halor to see if they will allow them to use the temple as a base from which to sell all of these goods. Mõrvar and Furfur will head to the Dusty Cartright to secure them all rooms and baths and such. Mõrvar also intends to see if Seela is still there and to hook up with her once again.

At the temple, the party meet Abbot Sylus and are told that the temple will, indeed, allow them to use them as a base of operations in this instance, considering Brother Thorne’s role in the expedition. Also, for the tithing of 100 gold pieces, they would be willing to cast Restoration upon Rilka and cure her of her affliction. She accepts and is cured, having her Constitution restored. At this point, the party begins to sell off their bounty and split up their proceeds. . .