Adventure Summaries Sessions 44 to 53

In the evening, Luxian seeks out Zeno and explains that he passed out when the earth closed up after the earthquake to imprison the residents of Volikos for another century because it reminded him of his childhood experience of being entombed underground for years as a sacrifice to the element of earth.

The adventurers rest for Church-Day. In the evening, Theresa goes to the river to practice on her pan pipes.

The adventurers realise the have crossed the border from Molasaria to the Crusades when they hear the Tashim call to prayer in Nascerine at dusk.

Theresa is curious to learn more about the Tashim Understanding of the True Faith, so the adventurers visit the Tashim house of prayer at dusk. Theresa is disappointed to learn from the villagers that there is no Tashim teacher in the village, only the Selentine priest in the local lord's church. The villagers suggest that Theresa may still be able to find a Tashim teacher in Crescentium.

The adventurers arrive at Crescentium in the morning, and join the extensive Crusader tent city outside the city gates. As they make their way through the crowds, a familiar-looking knight seems to recognise them, then quickly turn aside to avoid meeting them.

While the others set up Makarios' pavilion and their tents, Martina goes into the city to visit the Company of Elea and learn more about local politics. Martina returns shortly before lunch and lets the others know what she has learned from talking with Eulogios of Elea:

• the Crusaders are mustering at Crescentium in preparation for a winter campaign to recapture Ibrahim from the Caliphate of Zhenir;
• the local Crusader lords include Fengor Svartsson, Duke of Crescentium, and Petros Murall, Prince of Moneghetti and the Murall claimant to the Kingdom of Kevland;
• the visiting Crusader lords include Princess Rowena of Teran and Terence Dorion, Count of Legnano and husband of Queen Almida Fultofaude of Kevland;
• Rowena and Terence have both been on Crusade since 1398 AUC and are rumoured to be "very close personal friends";
• one of the visiting Crusader lords who arrived recently is Sir Darian, Baron of Chaumont.

At the mention of Sir Darian, Zeno remembers that the familiar-looking knight was one of the duo of the Baron's knights who were tricked by Theresa into falling asleep under the enchanted weeping willow tree in Gallows Wood.

Martina also asked the Company of Elea for advice on finding a ship willing to sail into the Sea of Lament and take them to the Grey Rock, where Luxian hopes to find Mayauel, another of "The Five". As lunch ends, Prokopios of Elea visits the pavilion and recommends to Martina that they talk with the captain of The Faithful Lady.

In the afternoon, the adventurers split up into smaller groups and go out, leaving Arion, Medeia and Iphianassa at the pavilion. Selentos accompanies Makarios as he starts making enquiries about which lords are looking for knights to take service with them for the winter campaign and spreads the word about the beautiful tapestry made by Klea of Kupil. Zeno and Martina meet with Captain Karla Roodsdottir of The Faithful Lady, who agrees to transport the adventurers to the Grey Rock for 2 shillings a person. Hermione and Luxian accompany Theresa while she goes to a Tashim religious school and listens to Afshin the teacher talk about charity. Afterwards, Theresa buys a loaf of bread and gives it to a beggar.

On their way back to the pavilion, Hermione notices that they are being followed by a man wearing a turban and a scarf that hides all of his face except his eyes. Hermione points him out to the others before he falls back and disappears from view among the crowd. When the adventurers return to the pavilion, they find that Makarios is already hosting visitors who wish to inspect the tapesty, including the elegantly-dressed Lord Olivier and Prince Petros of Moneghetti.

In his tent, Zeno finds a small cake sitting on his blanket that nobody admits to leaving for him to eat. Prince Petros warns the adventurers that the Marijahs, an order of assassins from Opalar, leave a cake for their targets as a warning of impending doom. After he leaves, the adventurers speculate about whether the cake is poisoned. Confident that his faith will protect him, Zeno takes a bite from the cake before Hermione can slap it out of his hand. Fortunately, Zeno is not poisoned. Theresa is keen to learn how to bake a death-cake, and asks everyone not to kill any assassin who comes for Zeno before she has the chance to ask them for the recipe.

Martina is keen to take part in today's jousting contest, and Zeno gives her permission to take part. Zeno prays over Martina and her lance, and goes with her to act as her squire and supervise her conduct. Because Martina is still a squire herself, she isn't entitled to wear any heraldic symbols, so Zeno also removes his.

The "stranger knight" does very well in the contest, finishing in the final four and attracting a great deal of positive attention. As a reward, Martina is invited to the Duke's ball that evening, and surprises everyone by asking her "squire" for permission to attend. Zeno's explanation that Martina is his squire enhances the lustre of both their reputations.

That evening, Makarios, Selentos, Medeia and the adventurers attend the Duke's ball, leaving Arion and Iphianassa at the pavilion to keep watch over the tapestry and the horses. Makarios is keen to talk with Duke Fengor of Crescentium, who towers over almost all his guests. Princess Rowena of Teran and Count Terence of Legnano are keeping each other company, as are Prince Petros of Moneghetti and Baron Darian of Chaumont. Zeno's uncle, Eulogios of Elea, acknowledges him from a distance.

Zeno seeks out Baron Darian and returns his brother's gauntlet to him. The Baron is not grateful, slapping Zeno in the face with the gauntlet and demanding the return of his brother's spear, which was "stolen" from his brother's grave. Zeno is unable to return the spear, as it has been destroyed, and they make arrangements to seek each other out in tomorrow's tournament instead. The Baron will be on the side of the local Crusaders, who are being led by Duke Fengor and Prince Petros, so Zeno plans to be on the side of the visiting Crusaders, who are being led by Princess Rowena and Count Terence.

Zeno lets the others know about the arrangement. Gromlar and Hermione agree to accompany Zeno as soldiers-at-arms, and Martina will of course accompany Zeno as his squire. However, Makarios has already promised Duke Fengor that he would join his side in tomorrow's tournament.

Hermione talks disapprovingly of Prince Petros' friendship with Baron Darian, an unrepentant murderer who killed his brother and his brother's family. Makarios responds by defending the importance of staying true to your friends, and Theresa is deeply touched when Makarios asserts that he would stand by any of them in the same situation because of their friendship.

Makarios, Selentos, Medeia and the adventurers go to the tournament, leaving Arion and Iphianassa at the pavilion to keep watch over the tapestry and the horses. Theresa gives an embroidered hanky to Makarios and a second one to Zeno as her tokens.

Makarios and Selentos split off to make their way to Duke Fengor's side of the field, and Theresa, Luxian and Medeia farewell Zeno, Martina, Gromlar and Hermione as they make their way to Princess Rowena and Count Terence's side of the field. Luxian starts to mingle with the lords and other notables in the audience, looking for warriors who may be willing to accompany Hermione south to rescue her father from captivity. Theresa takes part in the archery contest, making it to the second target despite only using a shortbow, but misses one of her shots and doesn't advance to the third and final target.

Princess Rowena talks to the assembled knights about their strategy, which hinges on the discipline of the forces they brought with them from Teran and Kevland, and their ability to advance in line in good order and wheel about to take advantage of the higher ground on the left flank in the middle of the field. Seeing Baron Darian with the Prince of Moneghetti, who is leading the battalion on the enemy's right flank, Zeno and the others place themselves on the left flank, where many of the other visiting Crusaders on their side of the tournament have mustered.

The trumpets sound to start the tournament. The Princess' plan largely works as intended, with the retinues from Teran and Kevland holding steady in the centre and the right flank while the other visiting Crusaders take the high ground uncontested. The forces on the Duke's side seem more disorganised, largely forming into three battalions and making a disorderly approach towards the thinner line. Hermione spots an opportunity to attack before the Prince of Moneghetti's battalion is ready, and the adventurers lead the charge off the high ground.

The adventurers attack a trio of knights, and quickly gain the upper hand. However, before they can capture one of the knights and take them back to their lines as a prisoner for ransom, Baron Darian arrives, accompanied by Sir Lugrin (who they saw two days ago), Sir Quintal (the other knight who fell asleep under the weeping willow tree), another Crusader armed with a two-handed sword, and several soldiers-at-arms. The Baron seems a terrifying foe, frightening both Zeno and Gromlar. Forced onto the defensive by the new arrivals, the other knights retreat, one of them carried to safety by the Baron's soldiers-at-arms.

Baron Darian seems keen to take Zeno's spear from him, but Zeno finds his courage and does not drop his spear when the Baron shouts for him to do so. Hermione notices the Baron speaking arcane phrases under his breath in Raukil that make her sword stop short in the air, and accuses him of practicing sorcery. In return, the Baron criticises Hermione's metallic eye, telling her "Your eye looks infected."

In the audience, Theresa mingles with Lord Olivier while Luxian continues to search for potential allies for Hermione. Lady Eirene Doukainas suggests her brother Anthimos, "who loves war", may be interested, and Luxian arranges to bring Hermione to a meeting with both of them tomorrow morning.

Makarios and Selentos start making the way back towards their lines, taking a knight with them as a hostage. Makarios spots the battle between the adventurers and the Baron's group, and briefly hesitates about what to do. Theresa: “No, don’t fight Zeno!" In the end, Makarios decides to stay with Selentos and ensure their hostage is securely taken from the field of battle and ransomed.

As the fight between the adventurers and the Baron's group rages on, Luxian decides to send Grund to intervene. Luxian goes behind the pavilion before summoning Grund and disguising his appearance with sorcery, making him appear as an armoured knight with a closed helm and a shield in each hand.

The adventurers start losing ground to their adversaries. Gromlar drops his warhammer and tries to wrestle the Crusader with the two-handed sword to the ground, but isn't able to get within his guard. The unknown Crusader refrains from attacking the disarmed Gromlar and joins Sir Quintal in targeting Martina, who is winded by one of Sir Quintal's blows and drops to the ground. While Gromlar drags Martina away from the front line, Luxian uses sorcery to give Grund great speed and tells him to cross the field of the tournament and protect the others.

Luxian rejoins the audience, and when Grund makes his appearance, tells everyone nearby that it must be the legendary Shield Knight Greg, cursed for centuries to wander for reasons nobody knows as he speaks a lost language. Luxian's explanations are so convincing that Theresa talks with Lord Olivier about her concern for Zeno in case Shield Knight Greg is working with the Marijah assassins. Lord Olivier takes Theresa to talk with the heralds about calling a halt to the tournament.

Grund charges across the field at speed, ignoring other knights as he makes his way towards Zeno, who is left fighting alone against all four knights when Hermione retreats to join Gromlar. Zeno spears Sir Lugrin in the leg, dropping him to the ground, while Hermione uses her poultice to revive Martina. Martina: "We have to go help Zeno!" Martina draws her dagger and runs back to stand beside Zeno again, who has shaken off his fear of the Baron's fierce countenance.

Grund battles the unknown Crusader when he arrives. Seeing the tide of battle start to turn, Baron Darian leaves at great speed, trailed by Sir Quintal, who abandons Sir Lugrin to be taken prisoner at dagger-point by Martina. The trumpets sound, calling an early halt to the first tournament.

The battle over, the unknown Crusader congratulates Zeno on his strength of arms, and introduces himself as Wulfstan. He doesn't know anything about the Baron, as they were simply next to each other when the tournament began. Wulfstan accompanies the adventurers, their hostage Sir Lugrin, and Shield Knight Greg to the edge of the field, where they are joined by Theresa, Luxian and Medeia. Sir Lugrin leaves to make arrangements for the payment of his ransom, while Luxian explains how Shield Knight Greg is cursed. Grund disappears under the ground, making it look like he's being dragged under by some force. Wulfstan calls for labourers to bring shovels to try and dig him free, without success.

Hermione tells the others that Baron Darian was using sorcery during the battle. Wulfstan warns Hermione about making such strong accusations against a noble, drawing her ire until Theresa defuses the situation by taking Wulfstan to introduce him to Lord Olivier. Theresa talks with Wulfstan about Zeno, and how well he did in the tournament. Theresa: "Oh, God was with him. Was I worrying for nothing? That warrior was so strange, and was headed straight for my friends!"

The others discuss what to do about Barian Darian. Martina points out that it's not illegal to use sorcery, only disreputable, and the Baron is already disreputable because of the murders.

Theresa and Medeia rejoin the others, as do Makarios and Selentos. Prince Petros passes by, praises Makarios and Zeno for their success on the field, and tells Makarios his steward will come by the pavilion tomorrow to purchase the tapestry. Prince Petros also tells Makarios he may have a place for him in his retinue for the upcoming winter campaign. Makarios mentions that Gromlar is also on Crusade to liberate Ibrahim, and Petros asks Gromlar if he also intends to take part in the winter campaign. However, Gromlar has been underwhelmed by the apparent importance of politics among the Crusaders. Theresa quickly takes Gromlar by the arm and leads him away before Gromlar can be too insulting in his criticisms of the leaders of the Crusaders.

The adventurers have lunch, and stay to watch the second tournament in the afternoon. The second tournament is less exciting, as fewer knights take part and the field has been broken up by the tramping feet of the participants in the first tournament. Shield Knight Greg does not return, to the disappointment of many in the audience.

Afterwards, they return to Makarios' pavilion and wait for the delivery of the ransoms they won in the first tournament. Prokopios of Elea brings Zeno a letter obligatory for 15 pounds, as Sir Lugrin has borrowed his ransom from the Company of Elea. Prokopios is pleased at Zeno's success until Zeno shares that he intends to use the ransom to repay his debt to his uncle. The news wipes the smile from Prokopios' face, and he quickly says his farewells and leaves.

Makarios and Zeno discuss how they intend to split their ransoms with their squires and (in Zeno's case) soldiers-at-arms. As is customary, each knight is receiving four shares, while each squire receives two shares and each soldier-at-arms one share - so Makarios is giving one-third of his ransom payment to Selentos, while Zeno is giving a quarter of his ransom payment to Martina and an eighth each to Hermione and Gromlar. Martina impulsively tells Zeno that she wants him to keep her share, and claims she doesn't need it. Theresa asks Martina if she doesn't need her share from the sale of the tapestry either, but Martina is quick to reply that she does.

After dinner, the adventurers retire for the evening. Late at night, Zeno is attacked in his bed by an assassin.

Martina rouses Zeno before the assassin can strike him while he sleeps, and assists Zeno in fighting back against the assassin. Unable to complete his mission, the assassin attempts to flee, but is captured despite his oiled robes making him slippery and difficult to hold. Martina foils the assassin's attempt to stab himself in the neck with his poisoned dagger, and he is bound and unmasked. Theresa is very disappointed to learn from the assassin that the "death cakes" he left as a warning don't have a special recipe.

Gromlar, Hermione and Fierce guard the assassin while the others rest for the remainder of the night, only to discover that he appears to have willed himself to death while meditating. In the morning, Sir Makarios leaves to meet with Duke Fengor, accompanied by Selentos. The adventurers discuss their plans for the day. Theresa asks Hermione why she isn't attempting to recruit more knights to her mission. Theresa: "You're not trying because you think you'll fail, right?" Hermione: "I'm not trying because I don't know how to do it." Hermione is encouraged to ask Sir Makarios to help rescue her father when he returns later that day.

The adventurers split up to handle different matters. Hermione, Zeno and Martina meet with Sir Anthimos Doukainas and Lady Eirene Doukainas, and arrange to meet up with them at Selentium so that Sir Anthimos can help Hermione rescue her father. Theresa and Gromlar take the dead assassin to the Tashim religious school she visited three days ago, where Afshin identifies him as a Marijah assassin and take his body for burial. Hermione, Zeno and Martina visit the Company of Elea to cash the letter obligatory, then go to hand over a third of the ransom to Count Terence and Princess Rowena as the leaders of their side in yesterday's tournament. Martina seems concerned after the meeting with Eulogios of Elea, as she spotted that he was initially surprised to see Zeno - as if he didn't expect to see him again.

The adventurers reassemble at Sir Makarios' pavilion, where Prince Petros' steward has collected the tapestry in their absence, paying six pounds instead of the agreed five so the two knights don't have to split their shares with their squires. Martina and Zeno talk in their tent while Hermione and Theresa wait outside and listen. Martina tells Zeno how she delivered sealed correspondence from Phocas to Eulogios, who burned the letter immediately after reading it. Zeno learns that Martina is suspicious of their relatives, and she feels "nothing that happens is a coincidence". Theresa comments to Hermione, "Not everybody's happy to hear their family is alive. I'd probably do a little dance if I found out my mother had died."

Sir Makarios returns with the good news that Duke Fengor has accepted him into his service for the campaign to recapture Ibrahim, and promised him a fief if the campaign is successful. Hermione asks Sir Makarios about helping rescue her father, and he immediately promises to assist once he's fulfilled his promises to the True God and Duke Fengor to go on the campaign to liberate Ibrahim.

Concerned about attacks by more assassins, the adventurers decide to go to The Faithful Lady and leave straightaway, rather than stay one more night as they had planned. They say their farewells to Sir Makarios, Selentos, Arion and Gromlar, who is also staying to fulfil his Crusader oath, and leave with Medeia and Iphianassa. Zeno leaves Paketos wtih Sir Makarios.

The adventurers and the sailors discuss the likelihood of being attacked by sea monsters, and the sailors place bets on whether the next ship that attacks them will be pirates, Crusaders, or the Caliphate. Hermione joins in the wager, betting a shilling on pirates.

The adventurers talk in their cabin about the family politics of the Company of Elea. Theresa: " Zeno, I want you to know that if you have to kill your own family, I will still be your friend." Zeno's response is that he couldn't strike down his own family. Theresa: "Oh, do you want me to do it for you?"

Medeia interrupts the discussion with news. Medeia: "The captain says there are pirates approaching." Theresa: "Oh, I should have put a shilling on it!"

Shortly before dusk, a galley keeps pace with the The Faithful Lady, staying outside cannon range around two kilometers away. A few tall figures stride along the galley deck towards a tarpaulin, which is drawn back to uncover a catapult. A pale-green glow appears in the cup of the catapult, which hurls the green projectile high in the air. The projectile changes direction to head towards The Faithful Lady, and arcs down onto the deck. Captain Karla Roodsdottir calls for the crew to prepare the buckets of sand, but the projectile is a dense cloud of green vapour, out of which appear three armoured men in full plate. The adventurers fight back against the attackers while the crew keep their distance. The attackers fight with arcane magic as well as with their greatswords, hurling Theresa off the deck with invisible force and blasting the others with fire. Medeia calls on zephyrs to slow Theresa's fall, while Theresa uses her arcane magic to fly back up to the deck.

The adventurers defeat one of the attackers, who dissolves back into green vapour. The other attackers abandon the attack when they discover that the only cargo in the hold is Grund, and also dissolve into green vapour. Captain Karla Roodsdottir thanks the adventurers for driving away the pirates, but is not interested in pursuing the galley and attacking opponents with such dangerous magics. Hermione receives three shillings as her share of the betting pool.

Sionos the shepherd guides the adventurers up to the valley. The closest part of the valley is dominated by the remains of a massive pagan temple complex with people living in the buildings still standing among tumbled ruins, while the further part of the valley gives way to a series of olive groves and grape trellises. In addition to goats, there are also small, muscular horses with a second toe on their hind legs. Carvings of caryatids, sea nymphs, and horses decorate the buildings, and Medeia confirms that the temple is dedicated to the "Earthshaker".

The adventurers talk to knowledgable local elders, Voula the weaver and Alexandros the vintner, about the history of the island of Xathos. They learn that the valley was damaged in a great earthquake when Saaknathur was killed by Hunguk the Pirate-King over 400 years ago, and that the survivors included some of Saaknathur's apprentices, who passed down what they knew of sorcery to their own apprentices in the expectation that Saaknathur would one day return. Mayauel washed up on the island forty years ago, and was raised by the childless final "apprentice" to be his successor before it became clear that she was actually "Saaknathur reborn". "Saaknathur" moved back to her castle in the mountain high above the valley years ago, before "the apprentice" died of old age and was buried in the graveyard by the ruined church in the traditional way (face down and with a stake through the heart pinning him to the ground). The adventurers collect "the apprentice's" parchment scrolls from the loft of his house, which is now used by another family: the scrolls are written in Old Emphidian, rather than High Bacchile. Theresa is pleased to find several scrolls that she could copy into her Book of Shadows with the right rare inks, while Medeia is more interested in the historical chronicles of Saaknathur's involvement in past events.

The villagers assemble for lunch with the new arrivals, and Theresa insists on cooking with her spices to improve the otherwise bland fare of goat, bread, olives and wine. The villagers assume the adventurers will be joining their community, as previous survivors of shipwrecks have done over the centuries. They are excited to learn that Zeno can teach them about the True Faith, as while he isn't a priest he is far better informed than they are.

After lunch, Theresa uses an arcane ritual to summon a small bird to take a message from Luxian to Mayauel in the castle. Luxian: "I was there when you were sacrificed to the river, as I was sacrificed to the landslide. We need to speak. My name is Luxian." Theresa also uses her magic to make herself look plain and ordinary, with a wart, just in case they draw the attention of any of the gods.

While Luxian waits for a response with Medeia and Iphianassa, the others decide to return to the beach and explore along the shore. They find a sea-cave, and inside the cave they find a channel through a crack in the back wall with a narrow ledge along one side. The adventurers make their way along the ledge until it ends at the point the channel turns into a waterfall dropping down into an underground lake some 30 metres below. Theresa bestows the power of flight on Hermione and Zeno, who carry Theresa and Martina respectively as they fly across the cavern to a beach of black sand and dried seaweed. The cavern ends in another narrow cleft in the rock, which leads them upwards in a rough, undulating climb to a large natural rock chamber, littered with huge boulders and rubble, with deep fissures in the walls. Small rocks intermittently tumble from the fissures as they check each for a way forward.

The adventurers follow the deepest fissure, which slowly descends downwards and lets them squeeze through a crack into a room with white marble walls, two doors made of wood and marble, and a large marble statue of a naked male cyclops holding a shepherd's crook with three bronze figurines of sheep at his feet. The sheep have large black opals for eyes, and carved on the plinth in Old Emphidian is an inscription: "Polthos, Beloved Son and Shepherd of our Lord, Blinded by the Accursed One". The adventurers decide not to touch or take anything, though Theresa is tempted. Theresa: "I don't want to be cursed, but I do like money." Instead, they decide to explore through the door to the left of the crack.

After passing through two corridors, one decorated with ancient black paintings of humans, horses and giants, the adventurers find another room with two doors and a huge statue. The granite statue is of a rough-featured and heavy-set naked man, and the inscription on this plinth is also in Old Emphidian: "Anteos, Son of our Lord, Slain by the Thunderer's Bastard". The door to their right facing the statue is made of bronze, and creaks loudly when opened by Zeno to reveal a flight of stairs going down. The adventurers decide to take the other door instead, and Zeno pulls the bronze door closed again.

The corridor behind the other door leads to a staircase into a deep, dank chamber with a door at the other end of the stairs. However, the middle of the staircase has broken into pieces and fallen into the water that covers the bottom of the chamber. Both the water and the debris it partially covers glisten with salt crystals, including a cluster of skeletal remains near the foot of the broken staircase. Theresa volunteers to be lowered into the chamber to check the remains, and is attacked by two salt-encrusted skeletons from under the water. Zeno descends in a burst of light to defend Theresa while the others struggle to pull her up and away from the revenants. Theresa eventually rescues herself, teleporting back to the top of the stairs and turning invisible in the process.

After the revenants are destroyed, Zeno checks the other skeletal remains, which are dressed in the rotted remains of tunics and light jewellery. The adventurers go through the door at the foot of the stairs and search what was once a women's dormitory, with small brass boxes containing rotted cloth and marble shelves holding dusty jars of powders and unguents, ivory hair combs, and small items of jewellery. A large burnished mirror takes up most of one wall, while another wall is decorated with a mosaic of a handsome man in a blue robe with a large collar of yellow jewellery beneath the Old Emphidian words "Beloved Acherades".

With no way to continue onwards, the adventurers retrace their steps. Rather than go through the bronze door or the other door in the room with the statue of Polthos, they decide to return to the village and find out if Luxian has received a response from Mayauel.

Hermione, Martina, Theresa and Zeno return to the village, where Theresa makes herbal tea and fried bread with honey for afternoon tea. Medeia warns the others that she's learned from the scrolls that the temple wasn't destroyed in the earthquake caused by Saaknathur's death, but was destroyed by an earlier earthquake around a thousand years ago because of some dreadful crime the priest Archerades committed inside the temple. The histories don't say what the crime was, but Medeia is certain it must have been terrible to make the "Earthshaker" destroy his own temple with an earthquake.

During afternoon tea, clouds gather overhead and it briefly rains. The rainwater near the adventurers gathers together into the form of a water elemental, which delivers a message for Luxian in Primordial, which he understands with difficulty: Mayauel has been expecting him, and is waiting for him at the castle. The water elemental has no advice to relay on how to get up there, so the adventurers plan for Hermione, Luxian, Theresa and Zeno to fly up to the castle while Martina stays behind to guard Martina and Iphianassa. Martina asks Zeno what he wants her to do if they don't return, and Zeno insists she is not to try and rescue them, but is instead to keep Medeia and Iphianassa safe and try to return them to The Faithful Lady before the ship leaves.

Before they fly to the castle, Theresa sends a bird to Captain Karla with a message: "Exploration going well. We made it safely past the reefs with the boat and all of us intact. Will be here at least another day." The adventurers fly up to the partially-ruined castle high on the mountain, and land in a rubble-strewn courtyard where a large armoured automaton with three spikes projecting from its otherwise featureless head is waiting for them. The automaton escorts them into the castle, past a variety of water elementals doing various tasks, to a meeting hall where a beautiful and charismatic Davinan is sitting on a majestic marble throne, guarded by a huge wooden statue with a squat and solid build.

Mayauel is delighted to meet Luxian at last, as Dormita has told her all about him. Mayauel: "So young, and strong, and handsome!" When asked about the villagers' claims that she is Saaknathur reborn, Mayauel confirms that is the case, and explains to Luxian how it isn't a concidence that Master Federigo is a member of the Tirynian Circle and took him to live in Kaxos, because he is actually Gulanoras reborn, just as Tikaru is Chang the Stormrider reborn. Mayauel's belief that the Five are the reborn souls of five of the Seven Eternal Sorcerers (excluding Angmar the Witch-King and Cathedron the Unbidden, whose current locations are well known) is unshakeable, and has apparently been encouraged by Dormita since her childhood.

Mayauel shows Luxian and his companions a mannikin, carved from diseased wood, that she calls the Hatuli, the "Bring-Hither". The Hatuli apparently has the ability to find anything or anyone, but is currently inert because its eyes, two small emerald gems, are missing somewhere in the crypts and caves beneath the temple, away from her element. Mayauel wants the Hatuli to help her find "her" missing treasures, as she isn't sure what is still buried in the ruins of the castle and what was taken by Hunguk the Pirate-King centuries ago, and asks Luxian if he will go underground, into his element, to find the missing gems. Luxian and the others don't object to exploring the temple more, and Mayauel promises to let Luxian use the Hatuli to find one thing if he brings back the Hatuli's eyes.

Mayauel invites the adventurers to have dinner with her before they leave, and her water elementals bring them a dead dolphin to eat. Theresa offers to cook dinner, and Mayauel accepts enthusiastically. Zeno is perturbed at the thought of eating a dolphin, and only eats the side salad Theresa prepares with the meat. Hermione, Luxian and Theresa all eat the dolphin dish, which Mayauel particularly enjoys.

After dinner, the adventurers fly back down to the village, where Martina is relieved at their safe return. The others ask Luxian what he thinks of Mayauel, and Luxian says he feels sorry for her, as she must be very lonely. They discuss whether it is a good idea to give Mayauel the Hatuli's eyes if they find them, but quickly agree that it's not wise to upset someone with mastery over the element of water when they're on an island in the middle of a sea. Theresa: "I don't know, she quite likes Luxian, I think she’ll only drown us." The adventurers plan to explore the temple from the valley in the morning without Medeia or Iphianassa, as Medeia steadfastly refuses to go into Potaidaon's temple when she's a priestess of his rival Atana.

The adventurers make their way through the ruins until they find a large stone stairway that leads downward. Luxian and Grund move the huge blocks of broken marble that obstruct the stairway to make a path through the rubble that they take downwards under the ruins. The stairs end at a crossroads, where they go right. The passage leads to a large hall with a pair of large wood and marble doors on the other side. Hermione notices that the ceiling is badly cracked and moving the doors may make it collapse. The adventurers decide to take that chance, and Hermione goes across the hall and opens the doors. As she anticipated, the ceiling collapses, and Hermione dives through the doorway to escape harm.

Hermione finds herself in a storeroom filled with the remains of dissolved foodstuffs, perished wooden shelving, and piles of cloth turned to threads and dust. Luxian sends Grund through to rescue Hermione, and Grund makes a tunnel under the floor to bring Hermione back to where the others are. They return to the crossroad and continue straight ahead, coming first to a wide hall, and then to a second hall with massive stone doors on the far side. The stone doors swing open when Grund places some of the rubble on the empty plinth in the center of the room, allowing them to continue on into the next room, which has a large shallow pool surrounded by six pillars and an archway on the far wall covered with the tattered remains of a cloth curtain.

Hermione goes forward to investigate two abalone shells on the edge of the pool, and uses one to drink from the pool, which makes her feel refreshed and hear the distant sound of waves crashing on the shore. Theresa: "Yes, throw off the shackles of the True Faith!" Theresa and Luxian also drink to ritually purify themselves before continuing into the temple, but Zeno and Martina refuse to do so. When they attempt to walk past the pool with the others, a water elemental rises up out of the pool and loudly declares in Old Emphidian that "You must drink the sacred waters to purify yourselves before entering the inner sanctums." When neither Zeno nor Martina move to do so, the elemental repeats the message, speaking louder and slower than before, and with explanatory gestures.

Rather than battle the elemental, Zeno and Martina stay behind under its watchful gaze while Hermione, Luxian and Theresa continue on. Behind the curtain, they find a large oval room of granite and black marble, with twin colonnades leading towards a low altar decorated with scallop shells, bronze horses, and clay flasks. A hunched figure in a voluminous grey robe is kneeling on the stone floor before the altar.

The adventurers are attacked by the decaying revenant in the grey robe. Zeno and Martina attempt to go and assist the others, but their way forward is obstructed by the water elemental. Fortunately, the others easily account for the revenant, so they settle back down to dry off under the watchful scrutiny of the water elemental.

Theresa encourages Luxian to show respect to Potaidaon by joining her in praying at his altar. Theresa: "I ask for your blessing and wealth. Wealth and power. Well, just not being killed would do." Luxian isn't sure what prayer to make, and Theresa coaches him. Theresa: "Luxian, your most fervent supplicant, wishes for safe passage for himself and his party through your revered temple."

Beyond the altar are two arches, one open and the other blocked by a door. The open archway leads to a large hall, decorated with mosaics in blue and green of a woman draped in seaweed and surrounded by large crabs and dolphins. A rivulet of salty water runs from a spring in the centre of the room through another archway at the end of the hall that is obscured by a swirling veil of mist which smells of sea-spray. Theresa has Hermione tie a rope around her before goes through, with instructions to pull her back if she tugs on the rope.

Stepping through the archway, Theresa finds herself deep underwater, and struggles to pull on the rope in the crushing, ice-cold depths while figures swim towards her through the depths. Hermione and Grund pull Theresa back, much to her relief. Shortly afterwards, a coral hairpin is pushed through the archway. Theresa pushes back one of the small jars of perfume she collected from the women's dormitory the previous day. Theresa isn't sure whether the coral hairpin is enchanted, and Luxian offers to carry it for her until she can study it more carefully. Luxian: "I do have a sack specifically for keeping potentially cursed items."

The door in the other archway has no obvious handle, but there is a shell-like depression in the wall beside the door. Luxian borrows some of Grund's body and softens it in the spring in the other room to make clay he can use as a mold for the shell. While Luxian is drying his mold, Hermione, Fierce and Theresa looks around the rest of the room, and Hermione finds a small recessed mosaic of a nautilus on one wall that makes part of the wall slide open when pressed in, revealing a small round room with a brass statue of a young nymph standing in a dancing posture and the heads of gargoyles high on the walls.

Hermione, Fierce and Theresa go in to investigate further. Whe they do, the statue starts dancing, and a stone slab slams down behind them, trapping them in the chamber. The statue stops dancing, looks at them, and says in Old Emphidian, "Kiss Potaidaon to prove your love for him!" as the chamber starts to fill with salt water from the mouths of the gargoyles. Hermione: "There's a problem, then: I don't love him". Fierce: "I won't tell Wesley!"

Theresa tries to persuade Fierce to fly up and kiss the mosaic, but he refuses. Theresa flies up and kisses the mosiac, and the water starts to drain from the room. The automaton kneels and gives Theresa a nautilus brooch, and goes back to standing in the same dancing posture as before. The slab rises and lets them leave once the water has fully drained away.

Satisifed that his mold is ready, Luxian places it in the depression beside the door to see if it opens. Instead, there is a loud thump, and the ceiling begins to crumble, then slowly collapse, obstructing the door and partially filling the altar room. Grund glides through the fallen rocks to see what's on the other side, and reports that there's a room with three brass chests and other doors as well. Removing rubble from the obstruction only causes more rocks to fall into the room.

Luxian, Hermione and Theresa rejoin Zeno and Martina, and consult about what to do next under the watchful gaze of the water elemental, which goes out of its way to pointedly warn Theresa that they have to drink the sacred waters again before re-entering the inner sanctums. The adventurers decide to have a short rest and regroup before checking the final corridor back at the crossroads, and withdraw to the next chamber so they aren't bothering the water elemental. Theresa uses an arcane ritual to study the coral hairpin and the nautilus brooch, and learns that the brooch is enchanted so that the person wearing it cannot sink in water unless they are burdened with more than they could carry on land.

After their break, the adventurers return to the crossroads and take the final corridor, which they find is blocked by another rock fall. Grund carefully burrows through the obstruction, creating a tunnel the others can use to follow him to the room at the end of the corridor. The room contains the perished remains of cloth, debased oils in dusty storage amphora, and the skeleton of a long-dead man who seems to have resorted to eating his wooden torch and leather sandals before his death.

With no other way to go down, the adventurers leave the temple and go down to the sea cave so they can go up instead. The journey is uneventful, though they note with some alarm that the large natural rock cavern with the fissure leading into the temple is more cluttered with rocks than before. They begin by going to the bronze door opposite the statue of Anteos, which opens as loudly as it did the day before. Descending the stone stairs beyond the bronze door leads to a cobwebbed and dusty chamber, decorated with a prominent frieze of a beautiful woman, several children, and a man in a blue robe with yellow jewellery around his neck whose face has been defaced and destroyed.

A strange wriggling beneath a tapestry on the floor turns out to be a tall man with close-cropped hair and bread, who stands up and stares at the adventurers. The man claims to be Acherades, who has been imprisoned here for a thousand years by his fellow priests because he refused to go along with their plan to desecrate the temple. The adventurers are deeply suspicious of Acherades, and Zeno calls on the True God to reveal the truth. Zeno: "Swear to me before your god and mine that you did not kill or betray your family."

Unable to lie, "Acherades" reveals his true form, a hideous demonic creature of the ocean, with the claws of a lobster, a lamprey-like tail, eyes like pitch-dark black pits, and the terrifying jaws of a deep-sea horror. The adventurers battle "Acherades", who complains bitterly of being trapped behind the bronze door by Acherades when he was stricken with regret for what he had done. Hermione interposes a spectral dragon's wing to shield Zeno during the conflict, which ends with "Acherades" hacked into pieces.

The adventurers search the room, finding a few valuable items of jewellery and half a dozen sealed clay flasks. Realising that everyone is still compelled by Zeno's prayer to speak truthfully, Theresa starts asking the others questions.

• Theresa: "Zeno, I was just wondering whether you thought Medeia or I was the prettiest?" Hermione: "Don't answer, Zeno, there's never a correct answer." Zeno: "Well, you, of course, yes."
• Theresa: "Hey, what did you really think of Jack?" Zeno: "He disappointed me greatly. Stop it!" Luxian: "I found him very amusing."

Hermione refuses to answer Theresa when she asks if she would give up adventuring to marry Wesley, as does Martina when Theresa asks if she likes her and considers them friends. Before Zeno ends his prayer, Luxian tells the others that he's concerned about giving Mayauel the eyes of the Hatuli if they find them, as he's concerned about what she may want to find using the Hatuli.

The adventurers close the bronze door behind them when they leave, and return to the room with the statue of Polthos and the bronze sheep, where they take the opportunity to rest and regroup.

The adventurers finish their rest and go through the remaining unexplored door, which leads them to a t-junction. The corridor to the left leads to a broad hallway with high marble pillars and a jagged crack that runs horizontally across the room, splitting it almost in half. Recognising that the large doors at the far end are bearing the weight of the damaged ceiling, they decide not to open the doors as it would most likely trigger a cave-in.

Returning to the t-junction, the adventurers find a concealed door that leads to a broad flight of steps down to a shallow underground lake. Theresa can see an island in the darkness, and the others wade though the waist- to chest-high water while Theresa walks across the lake surface, resting her hands on the heads of Zeno and Hermione to help her balance. On the island, they find a skeletal body in tattered blue robes with bronze jewellery lying beside a large, smooth lump of granite, marked with black stains and with a long black dagger on top. The far side of the island is covered with the skeletal remains of other people, including children. The adventurers use magic to move the dagger into Luxian's sack for potentially cursed items, then go back the way they came to the t-junction.

The other corridor from the t-junction leads to a chamber with deep pools containing broken oars, horse skeletons and other offerings. The room beyond is the one with three large bronze chests that Grund found earlier. According to a message engraved on the floor in Old Emphidian, the chests contain "wonders forged in honour of our Lord". When Zeno opens one of the chests, the bronze and tin mosiac on the wall around the room activates, forming into a large lobster-shaped apparatus that attempts to hold Zeno and Grund in place in its pincers until the adventurers break it into pieces. The adventurers collect the broken fragments at Theresa's insistence, as well as taking the items they find in the three chests - three glass globes, a bronze wrist-guard crafted to look like fish scales, and a dolphin-shaped brooch.

The adventurers backtrack and take the other door from the room with deep pools. The hall beyond contains a trapped floor, which opens under Zeno's weight and drops him inside a shallow pit lined with sharp shards of coral and shell. Zeno's heavy armour protects him from harm, unlike the simple leather jerkin worn by the skeletal remains of the pit's previous victim. Zeno finds in the dead person's pouch a small bag of finger bones, as well as two small, exquisitely carved emeralds of great beauty - the eyes of the Hatuli. The others help Zeno out of the pit and recover the remains, which Zeno wraps in his cloak for burial when they return to the village.

The room at the end of the hall is a small round temple, with a conch shell resting on a central dais. The adventurers decide not to disturb the shell, and instead make their way back through the caves to the beach. Before returning to the village, the adventurers examine all the magic items they found except for the black dagger, which no-one is willing to handle, and determine what each of them does.

Back at the village, Luxian sits in solitude and reflects on what to do with the eyes of the Hatuli while the others prepare for their final night on the island. Zeno agrees to lead an evening church service for the villagers, while Theresa packs away the three goatskin scrolls of arcane spells that she wants to add to her book of shadows. Martina, Medeia and Iphianassa join the villagers in their church hall, while Hermione stays away with Fierce for company.

During the church service, Theresa goes into the ruins on her own to pour a libation to Phunos. Potaidaon surprises Theresa, hurling her to the ground, and she slips through the World of Spirits to escape his grip. Theresa flees back to towards the church, pursued by Potaidaon, who ignores Hermione's arrows as they shatter on his skin. Zeno uses the reliquary of Saint Merel to hold off Potaidaon, while Martina holds open the door to the church for Theresa. Martina: "Theresa, reject paganism! Turn to the True Faith!" Enraged, Potaidaon leaves after causing an earthquake that destroys all of the buildings except for the church hall, which is shielded by the power of the True God. Hermione is buried beneath a wall, and rescued by Grund after Fierce attracts Luxian's attention.

Theresa stays in the church to pray under Zeno's tutelage, as the shock of the experience has turned her away from her previous attachment to paganism. Zeno and Martina keep vigil throughout the night while the others sleep.

While Zeno is helping the villagers dig through the rubble to recover their belongings, the adventurers discuss what to do about the eyes of the Hatuli. Luxian decides to tell Mayauel that he's found the eyes and wants to take up her offer to let him use the Hatuli immediately. Luxian has someone to search for already in mind, but checks with Hermione about using the Hatuli to confirm her father's location. Hermione confirms that she doesn't feel the need to do so.

Before they fly up to the castle, Theresa uses her magic to send a bird with a message to The Faithful Lady. Theresa: "We're ready to leave - we will be on our way soon so please move the ship close to where we arrived." The villagers ask the adventurers to take word to "Saaknathur" that they need help repairing their homes.

Theresa's magic allows Martina and Hermione to fly up to the castle carrying her and Luxian. The adventurers find Mayauel and her automatons waiting for them in the ruined courtyard of the castle. Mayauel is delighted to see Luxian, as Dormita told her in her dreams last night that he found the eyes of the Hatuli. Luxian tells Mayauel he would like to use the Hatuli, and she happily guides him through her castle, arm around his shoulders. While they walk, the adventurers tell Mayauel about the villagers' request, and she quickly uses a brief storm to send water elementals down to the valley.

When they reach the Hatuli, Luxian places the eyes back in their sockets, but the Hatuli doesn't move immediately. Luxian asks if he can have some privacy to make his request, and Mayauel walks away with Theresa to give him some space. Luxian whispers to the Hatuli in High Bacchile that he wants to find Goduku, and the Hatuli stands up and starts walking towards the courtyard.

Mayauel and the adventurers follow the Hatuli to the courtyard, where it pauses at the edge of the cliff and points down to the valley. Luxian picks up the Hatuli, and the adventurers bid Mayauel a hasty farewell before flying back down to the village, where the water elementals are helping Zeno and the villagers with the rubble. The Hatuli points towards the path down to the beach, and sets off in that direction when put down by Luxian. Medeia checks if the others asked for Mayauel's help in leaving the island and passing through the reefs, but they neglected to ask.

The adventurers leave the village and make their way down to the beach, where the Hatuli is standing in the prow of the rowboat, pointing out to sea. Theresa flies to The Faithful Lady with Iphianassa while the others try to row through the reef. The rowboat is smashed to pieces on the reef, and Luxian snatches up the Hatuli before it is swept away. Theresa flies back to the others, gives Zeno the gift of flight, and between them they rescue everyone else from the water. The Hatuli points over the side of the ship to the northeast while they wait for Grund to climb up the anchor from the seabed before setting sail. Theresa wants to be dropped off on land as soon as is possible, fearing Potaidaon's wrath, but Captain Karla Roodsdottir insists on returning to Crescentium.

Theresa is also keen to repair the bronze apparatus of the lobster as a possible gift for her master. Hermione is also interested in repairing the apparatus, and Fierce encourages her by bringing her tools to work with.

The Faithful Lady leaves the Sea of Lament and starts to follow the coast eastwards to Crescentium. The Hatuli continues to point towards the northeast, and grows increasingly insistent on drawing Luxian's attention to the fact that they are not sailing directly towards Goduku.

Luxian wakes up to find the Hatuli standing over him, pointing towards the northeast. Master Federigo has replied to Luxian's message, and plans to meet up with Luxian after they arrive at Crescentium.