(S17) Emerging into the Light
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(S17) Emerging into the Light

Session

After their horrific encounter during (S16) Knee Deep in Duty the party went down the other tunnel, the one that had the word "Home" in Thieves Cant. They quickly found a watertight door that was locked and clearly recently used. Knocking led to silence but then Aella, The Whirlwind knocked in a particular pattern and the door opened. A man called Telekles who was the one who recognised the knock and a minotaur Jankas welcomed them to the Nest of the Forgotten. After learning that they had dealt with, not only the flood but also had dispatched Ismene the heroes were lead quickly to the leader of the Nest, a blind Medusa named Anteia. She explained that the nest of the forgotten was a place for the people who did not belong in The City of Mytros anymore, who had slipped through the cracks. It was thanks to her powers that this place was a safe heaven.

She found it interesting that the party did not seem suprised or agrerssive when confornted with a Medusa blinded though she was and when they informed her that they  traveled with one she told them to beware as no Medusa can go for long without succumbing to the dark urges of the curse and killing those who previously considered her a friend. She would have also sucumbed to this fate if it wasn't for Jankas's potions. They supressed her transformation but blinded her and left her lethargic. Jankas explained that he no longer was able to sell his potions on the surface due tro hostility against minotaurs, much of it stemming from The Order of Sydons influence and it was Telekles who would go to the world above and sell his potions. For the services the heroes had done the nest he gave them a selection of powerful potions. At that point the door opened and a young Medusa walked in. The heroes soon realised that she was Halie, the person that the slain automaton that was once Achradina loved. Praxos decided that the best way to handle this would be too say what happened quickly and without beating out the bush. Grieved but glad that the party had avenged her friend she offered her services and stated that she wished to accompany them in their adventures. Tryntia told her, that while honoured, her place was here protecting the Nest of the Forgotten from threats.

The party had grown to like the residents of this shanty town so they went back into the sewers to track down and eliminate another threat, a creature called the Ghoul king who usually could be found in the sewers under the Stygian Row. As the party emerged into a waterfilled chamber they heard a slow clap and saw the Ghoul King, a humanoid with bones extruding from its body, most notable forming  crown-like spikes on his head. He threatened and blustered but the party saw through his ruse and rushed forward, aware of the ghouls hiding within the water. The fight was brief but brutal but once again the heroes prevailed. Searching around they found the kings hoard stached away on a magical robe that he wore. In additoon to those robes they found 110 gold and a beatiful scroll case. Incredibly, one of the treasures found in the robe was a necklase with the sigil of Praxos's house, the second such bauble he had coem across. On a second look Praxos recognized the Ghoul King as a merchant called Fasteous, who had visited his family's estate when he was younger.

Learning of their plan to locate Unknown, Anteia decided to help them. She told them that she had had once nursed to health a lonely but strong-willed medusa named Moxena. Moxena was an exile Amazon, and the medusae of the Nest tried to encourage her to find peace and meaning within her curse. Moxena disagreed, and left the Nest to become the Lady of Coins. Moxena has extorted the Nest with her knowledge of its location, threatening to reveal its existence to the wrong kinds of people. She told the party that The Cult of the Snake would not be found if they did not wish to be but determined, they made their way to the location of the sewer that she had pointed them to. Hours passed with no result beyond being attacked by a pranking goatling and finsing insults written in the wals in Thieves Cant, the party finally called quits and returned to the surface. Suprsiingly they emerged right next to Colossus Of Pythor.

It was at that moment Aella, The Whirlwind was struck with inspiration. She remembered that when they received The Oracle's Prophecy, Versi had told her that one of the women who she would need to find lived in the head of a God. Eyes narrowed, she looked up, straight at the Colossus's head. She was entirely correct.  Attempting to enter, they triggered The Cult of the Snake's warning bell but before they could do anything about it they were attacked by the Colossus's two marble Golem's shaped like Pythor. They were able to destory the Golems and with a quick persuasive speech Praxos convinced the Mytrosian Guards that they were in the right and after using the magical robes properties to create an opening in the Colossus they rushed upward. They found a room full of complex tubes, three minotaurs and a one eyed human. They were able to convince the woman, apparently the second in command of Unknown to relay a message but were betrayed when she instead started realising a poisonous gas in the room. Tryntia used her power to shield the party from the gas and grateful, the three minotaurs thanked them and left. Before they elft they iunformed the party that the Lady was long gone. Regardless the second in command awaited above. It was time to go into the belly of Pythor.