At the base of an 80-foot elevator shaft, Thumper rejoined Ptepses and Torren, Who were strategizing against the Girtablilu positioned above. With a shared resolve, the group decided to ascend by flight, activating Thumper’s wings while Ptepses and Torren carried their companions aloft. As they soared upward, Thumper detected movement behind a nearby wall and cast Detect Magic, sensing a potent rune beyond. He quickly warned his allies and returned to the platform to ensure their safety.
Suddenly, an unseen attacker lashed out at Ptepses, catching him off guard, while another struck at Torren, narrowly missing him. Dreg conjured a mist cloud to obscure the battlefield. An unseen archer shot Torren, prompting him to fly through the illusory wall, revealing two Girtablilu hidden within. Torren threw Bags through the wall to engage the foes directly. Meanwhile, Barry examined the walls, initially believing them to be real before discerning the illusion, recalling that Girtablilu had no specific weaknesses. Bags shifted to her hybrid form, tumbling through a Girtablilu’s space to impale it, igniting the creature and setting its companions ablaze. Thumper dispelled the wall illusion, making it transparent for all to see. As the battle intensified, a Girtablilu shot Torren again, while another failed to seize Bags. Ptepses flew to the top ledge, setting Barry down before diving back into the fray. Dreg summoned the Eldamon Who, directing it to leap between multiple Girtablilu, striking them effectively.
The fight escalated as Torren unleashed a wide attack that wounded two Girtablilu. Barry cast Phase Bolt, hitting one of the enemies, while Bags executed another impaling strike, killing a Girtablilu that looked mournfully at Thumper under his enchantment. Thumper bolstered his allies with a Courageous Anthem, and the remaining Girtablilu were ultimately defeated. After the skirmish, the party looted the bodies, discovering multiple +2 potency runes.
Regrouping, Ptepses ferried Dreg to the Alcoves for a brief rest. Barry scouted the Upper Cavern, spotting a bridge and another Girtablilu ahead. The party entered a Vast Spherical Cavern with a Dry Lake Bed below, where hostile figures claimed they had not used the bridge or elevator. When Ptepses and Dreg demonstrated their flight, the figures pointed to the lake bed littered with skeletons, denying any involvement in their deaths. Dreg inspected the Rope Bridges, identifying weak points and warning the group not to linger.
Hostilities erupted as the figures prepared to attack. Dreg summoned the Eldamon Who, blasting the enemy cluster with elemental energy, while Barry hurled a fireball into the fray, injuring multiple foes. Thumper advanced onto a rope bridge, inspiring his allies with an anthem. A flying Rezzelki emerged from the lake bed, striking Torren and breaking the bridge beneath him, but he landed safely on the lake bed. Ptepses engaged an enemy archer, attempting to disarm it, while Bags leapt across the gap where the bridge had failed. Belcora appeared on a ledge above, taunting Dreg. Barry launched another fireball, further injuring the enemies. Thumper created an expanding entropy burst over the lake bed, damaging foes caught within. The Rezzelki struck Torren again but was consumed by flames midair. Ptepses and Dreg continued to engage the Girtablilu, with Ptepses disarming one and Bags delivering a precise finishing blow to another.
The fight escalated with spells and attacks flying across the battlefield. Dreg commanded Reaper to erect a void curtain, hemmed in three enemies, while Barry immobilized a Girtablilu with an impaling spike. Thumper’s anthems and spells bolstered the party, while Ptepses and Bags continued to strike down foes. The battle culminated with the destruction of illusory constructs, as Thumper and Barry combined their efforts to eliminate the last of the threats.
The party stood victorious, ready to uncover the secrets of the cavern and the challenges that lay ahead.
Threads to Watch:
- The significance of the potent rune detected by Thumper.
- The mysterious figures in the cavern and their claims of innocence.
- The implications of the skeletons littering the lake bed.