Episode 27

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Plot Summary
The party jumps into the basin to clean off the stench of the fartholder and has some light-hearted fun. There is a large cave at the other end of the basin that seems vast and some tents in the distance. Ora, Andre, Nitsuj, and Bubo swim over to investigate the cave while Starheart and the Iron Horn catch up. Ora is grabbed by a large fish and dragged under the surface. Andre is able to kill it. Bubo tries to “loot” it but can’t penetrate the scales. He hears something jiggling around inside the fish. He’s able to get inside with Andre’s help. Inside is a magical glowing lure and some gold pieces.

Eventually they make it into the cave. It is silent and dark, aside from noises of dripping water. Nitsuj identifies the hook as being made in Aurel by a gnome mage named Neled. It is irresistible to any aquatic creature. Ora searches the walls for thieves cant and finds some, but many of the sayings are unfinished. Further in the cave, they find chests and objects that many different people have tried to hide in the cave. They looked untouched for a very long time.

Andre searches the chests and finds one that was used by Gabber household years ago. There are many treasures and much gold. They do not detect any undead, magic, or armed traps. Nitsuj casts an arcane eye to explore further into the cave. Around two bends, he finds a great room of Quai architecture, though not as intricate as normal. There are four alcoves each with a mummified figure in it, two males and two females. In the center is a stone slab with a jagged notch in the center. On the ground are hundreds of corpses of every race, many of which are hundreds of years old.

Nitsuj recalls an old Quai tale that he thought was a myth. It is the story of the Quia-Lem, the ghost elves. They were banished from the Green Isles for severe crimes. They were compelled to travel north to the Glasslands and severed from their heartbeasts. Among the corpses are two humans who are the most recently deceased, from one to ten years prior. The stone is covered in stains of blood. Nitsuj wants to investigate further, but the others are wary. Ora and Andre throw pebbles at the treasure and down the hallway, but nothing happens. Ora fills her bag with treasure.

First tying himself to a rope, Nitsuj heads into the chamber, having to climb over many corpses. As he enters, he sees a kuotoa with an awesome fishing pole who introduces himself as Florp. He is there to make an offering to Dandoogle. He walks up to one of the dead Quai and empties his bag of gold and knickknacks its feet. He lives in the lake and visits his deity every 10 years or so. Once he saw someone trying to open the stone with a glowing rock but it didn’t work. They left frustrated but alive. Florp remembers that the glowing rock made the stone glow. He digs through the corpses looking for the rock. All of the bodies show signs of being killed from behind.

Ora has an idea to write a message on the wall with charcoal. She writes “A humble fool has found this place.”  As she finishes writing, the writing illuminates and spreads to tiny Quai script all over the walls. Florp remembers the rock was opalescent and crystalline. He tells them he lives in the lake in a village of kuotoa. He says he wants to give Dandoogle a new gift and snares Nitsuj with his fishing pole. Ora tries to cut the line, but it carves a notch in the blade. Ora is able to fillet the fishman to death. Nitsuj tries to use the fishing pole to fish for the crystal, but it doesn’t work.

Andre, thinking the crystal might be in the tents, leaves with Bubo to search the tents. They overhear several men’s voices having a hushed conversation in dwarvish. Dumeril scouts around the camp and finds a cart and a donkey. The cart is full of large lumpy packages. After a quick debate, Andre heads into the camp and lays down his weapon. Bubo does the same. Andre asks for an audience. A dwarf covered in dirt and soot jovially tells them to come inside.

The dwarf gives them tankards of ale and introduces himself as Gilbur Mudminer. His friend’s name is Hurmed Leadmantle. He asks them what they are doing in these parts. They explain they fled Copperforge and were investigating the cave. The dwarves are there to mine mooncatch ore. Bubo tells them about the treasure and pile of bodies in the cave. He shows them the ore they mine, which is faintly glowing white. It is used for runes and glows more in the moonlight. They ask the dwarf if he’s seen one in the shape of the markings in the cave. He confers with two other dwarves, Bamir Bonepike, and Gritt Flintjaw, and produces one. They want 200g for it. Bubo pays for it and warns them to avoid Copperforge.

Nitsuj examines the Quai-Lem that Florp worshiped. Its clothing is decayed. He guesses the Quai is over 1,000 years old. Andre returns to the chamber, but Bubo stops to gather 200g from the treasure pile. The stone in the center is humming. Ora pins a brooch on one Quai and makes an offering of coin at the others, saying that they did not deserve their fate. Nitsuj makes an illusion of a moon and the stone starts glowing. Ora sends the stone to the large stone with mage hand.

Once the stones fit together, more script appears that they all can read in their native language: “Forgotten. Erased. Hated. Chased. Worn. Frozen. Past. Woven. Now Unwanted, Strength Undone, We Walked as Nobles, Shone in the Sun. Now Feral, Hungry, Mad, Run. Names and Castle, None. Nations overrun. We are the Lem, the First of Them. Exiled into Eternity. To Match Our Path, the Cost is Wrath. Quai-Lem Live Forever.”  They feel the hum in their bodies and a warmth covers them.

The gem falls to the ground on top of a halfling, a knife sticking out of its back. Ora finds a journal on the body. It talks about wanting to find the best hiding spot for stolen items and mentions the Quai-Lem as a people to aspire to, to be able to survive in the Glasslands. He came with his brother on the way to the Glasslands. They were both overcome with a desire to kill each other and did so. Ora finds another little journal at the feet of the Quai. It recounts a similar experience, but this writer got away. Putting the gem in caused a need to kill, in exchange for a gift. That person fled instead.

As Nitsuj gives the magic unbreakable fishing pole to Bubo, they hear the voice of Eldin saying he has come to collect. Five vampires appear. One holds a charged gem and places it into the center stone. All of the party is overcome with a desire to kill the closest thing to them. Eldin shouts "I will never be hungry again!"

Fun Moments
Justin gifts Ryan a semi-automatic nerf gun to use on the felted friends.

Danny found his chair by the dumpster.

There are fish puns galore! It’s a regular episode of Salmon’s Legacy.

Ryan (as Andre) asks Andrew (as Bubo) to “present himself” when making their way into the dwarven camp.