After we take a moment to catch our breath, we take a look at the scrolls that were grabbed on the way out – a few earth-based spell scrolls, and the Manifesto of the Black Earth Cult. Splendid.

Can I just say that these guys are pants-on-head crazy? I’m not sure if they should be avoided or stopped, but they’re bad news, man. And this Marlos fella? King Crazy of Fucked Mountain. Apparently this “Prophet of Earth” heard voices or saw visions or something else completely sane and normal, and they lead him to a place called “the Fane of the Eye” where he found some (un)holy tool called Ironfang (heh, Marlos is an unholy tool). I have to admit though, while I’d guess that Ironfang is probably some sort of evil weapon or tool, it’s got a pretty fucking cool name. And those (exquisitely chiseled) fenced off stairs in the Monastery that lead even further down? He set up the Temple of the Black Earth down there. Good thing we made the right decision and only fight a single fuckoff umber hulk and get rescued by a lich. Man, that coulda been WAY worse.

It’s fine, though. It’s not like Marlos nurtures (Nurtures? Are you goddamn kidding me? It’s a Geode, not a baby or a grudge or a drink!) something called the Black Geode and when he’s ready he’ll use it to remake the land in his own image or something.

Wait a minute…

That’s exactly what he’s planning on! THAT’S WHY HE WROTE IT IN HIS GODDAMN MANIFESTO! Goddammit!

Anyways. Those guys flying high above us? Totally Feathergale dudes. I mean, it was kinda obvious, with them flyin’ and all. It’s kinda their “thing”. So, we all settle down, and they help us set up camp and take a damn breather. We let them know that we have a message for their Queen, Arisi. Being nosy vulture-riding bastards, they of course want to know what it is. Thing is though, I don’t feel much like telling them. We’ve got a good rep with Feathergale, helped them out with their pesky Manticore problem, and I think this is a good way for us to maybe improve our relations. But, apparently it’s hard to get an audience with her. I guess will just have to see about that next time we’re over that way, working on our kickass cave headquarters!

Come morning, some of the freed slaves decide to join up with the Feathergale and head back with them, and the rest (including Kelium) return with us to Dragon’s Bowl. When we return but just outside the town, we come across two guys with a sled with a TON of water! We chat with them about it – it seems like it could be a good business opportunity. They said the water’s so plentiful, that it was even falling from the sky!

Okay, maybe that’s a bit much. They seemed dead serious, and they DO have a ton of water, but falling from the sky? Come on.

Back to the matter at hand: getting Kelium back to the bar. And damn – what a reception he got! We hadn’t really talked about the part of the reward where we get to name a drink. We eventually decided on “Renwick Caladoon” after he who enabled our escape. I might suggest next time we’re there we rename it – something related to Renwick though. Just not his name. Something like “Last Cup of Sorrow” or “Get Lich or Die Tryin'” (maybe those wouldn’t sell so well) or something involving a phylactery? I dunno.

(this is where Dela has started to take over my notes sheet)

Anyways, fast-forwarding through many rounds of celebrations, we split up the next day to attend to different things. A couple of us go back to that shop we’d been at before, and do some business. Next stop: a sort of “underworld dealer” – I’m pretty interested in modding and improving my awesome new greatsword umbersword, and this shopkeeper keeps talking about various mustards he has available. He’s not so much an arms-dealer as a potion/poison-maker.

Seriously. Who refers to poisons as mustard? Come on, man. Use your words.

Well, we end up getting a slew of healing potions (I hold on to two) and start making our way over to Freedom. We decide to go South back over familiar roadways, which will take us over that wonderful (dare I say magical) bridge. But almost at the foot of it, two hulking insects arise from the very ground around us!

I react pretty quickly, and in short order have (I’m 95% sure) single-handedly (Fine! Both hands – my umbersword is a two-handed weapon) killed one of these glowing-earth-rune-in-the-forehead sonsabitches, and the party swiftly subdues the other.

It would seem that we’ve made some enemies. Good. Those guys suck.

(more Dela mayhem)

We cross over the bridge, and because of course, have to dispatch some gnolls before resting. At least this wasn’t in a crowded corridor this time.

Title source: Crowbar. \m/

Session Date: 05/26, Prior Journal XP: 250, Session XP: 748