Our heroes regrouped and assessed their surroundings, realizing they had only one pendant fragment left to collect. Examining the forge, they determined that holy water would destroy it and prevent more hellforged weapons from being made. Preparing for an explosion, they threw holy water from a safe distance, rendering the forge unusable.
Reflecting on the imp’s offer, Thumper decided to revisit it. Through investigation, manipulation, and charm, he secured a favorable contract with the imp. The team continued exploring and quickly dispatched two will-o-wisps.
In a nearby room, they found a woman named Cynemi chained upside down, in dire need of medical attention and food. After tending to her, they learned she had taken a contract from Urevian to capture Carman Rajani but failed and was imprisoned. Dreg recognized a bounty for her, and they turned her in, earning a reward.
Taking a few days to rest, they also worked on making Thumper’s deal with the imp more beneficial. Torren attempted to convince Vandy to mummify Jafaki’s remains as relics, but Asterion’s revelations dissuaded her from seeing this creature as a saint and welcoming a part of the corpse within her temple. Nonetheless, she did not prevent him from proceeding.
Returning to the vaults, our heroes prepared to ambush the hydras with fire spells. However, they were ambushed by earth creatures instead. Fighting valiantly, they emerged victorious, but the battle took a toll. Dreg suffered a heartbreaking loss as Dexter fell in combat.