RECAP: B TEAM, 6-11-23

1. In the southerly lava river room, the zombie with the magic-infused abdomen continued to approach the party
   • Arandar, spotting Inquisitor Damius in the doorway to the north, speed past the zombie to engage the Scourge cleric.
   • One provoked the zombie onto the lava bridge, in hopes of pushing it off the bridge into the lava. The creature proved too slippery to push. Po was able to push it off the bridge with his spear, and it burned. However, the magic inside it enacted when it died, and a soundburst exploded outward, stunning Ono and doing sonic damage to both him and Po.
   • Vondrom and later Titus decide to destroy the teleportation trap, hitting it with picks and acid. After removing a portion of the stone, Vondrom discovers a metal core, which Titus believes contains the magic power of the trap. Vondrom sets a piece of steel against the metal and slams a sledgehammer into it, piercing the core and causing a grounding effect, in which the core metal tarnishes and the magic contained within drains out into the ground. They both agree the trap is undone.
   • Arandar avoids a blindness spell and chases Inquisitor Damius toward his quarters, tripping him. Damius calls out the snake Basil, which slithers out of one of the vats to attack. Arandar calls for assistance, and Wraith, Po and Ono come up to provide flanking attacks on the snake. Arandar double crits Damius and beheads him. In another round, Wraith is able to kill the snake with arrows.
2. Once out of initiative, the party began to question where the Hydromancer might be hiding, ultimately coming to the conclusion that a water-mage might be far more comfortable in water than near lava. With that, they decided to ascend back into the flooded prison and seek their target there.
3. Before going back upstairs, the party decided to examine the Pyromancer’s Tomb. The protections on the tomb prove too much for the team, however, and the antechamber floods with lava, forcing Wraith and Arandar out. Somehow, despite the excess lava cooling quickly, the lava in the anteroom remained hot and flowing.
4. The party made it up the shaft without issue, including bringing the debilitated prisoner, and passed through the membrane into a prison where the water was deeper. Ono seemed agitated and felt ill at ease in the noticeably higher water, but the party was able to bring every though the membrane into the water. The prisoner was given a water breathing potion to assist in getting him to the less flooded areas of the prison.
5. At the prison loading dock, Arandar spotted Sidoneth the Hydromancer (finally!) standing on the river water, waving the control wand for the storm control sphere. Sidoneth explained:
   • He did it for the money, plus a plum position at Desperation Port.
   • He asked for the Sphere back (Arandar refused); he also declined to hand over the wand.
   • He bid them good day and that he’d wished they’d met under other circumstances, then sank below the surface of the river.
   • At the same time Sidoneth was sinking, a strange wave materialized in front of where he had been standing. At first like a large water elemental, this creature did not exhibit the familiar characteristics of an elemental, but instead resembles a minotaur or gargoyle – legs, arms, snout, horns. The creature rushed in and attacked.
   • Alsongide the water elemental, two fast moving river squids rocketed in and attacked Arandar and Po (who had cast Enlarge on himself), Arandar was able to kill one if teh squids, and Wraith got some arrows into the water creature.

We’ll begin in combat on July 9.