The party began by sorting out the aftermath of the flooded fight: the hydras had already been handled, the Serlagon was defeated, the folding boat was lost, and Abbas had the lesser armory bracelet. Their immediate plan was to get out of the Gauntlight and rest. [S64 00:01:05; S64 00:01:18; S64 00:01:22]
The escape was not clean. After choosing the long detour instead of swimming, the party worked back through known rooms and portal routes. Venris scouted ahead, and the table settled a practical ruling: when he is ahead of the party, he may get an extra chance to notice danger before Cid's normal scouting would apply. That paid off immediately when Venris heard the grave knight's metal steps in the library and warned everyone to turn back. [S64 00:15:46; S64 00:32:17; S64 00:36:22; S64 00:36:53]
Back in Otari near sunset, the party split up. Abbas and Veve visited Menhem Manor and confirmed Doriana was healed: her hand was whole, the gem was gone, and she was sleeping normally. Doriana privately showed Veve that she could levitate a plushie, and the GM framed the power as something she had already been developing, likely explaining why she had been targeted. Menhem also reminded the party that the promised item reward still needed several days to arrive. [S64 00:48:06; S64 00:49:51; S64 00:50:30; S64 00:51:52; S64 00:54:06]
Venris found Carman Rajani at the bar, sober because of probation, and talked to him privately. Carman said he had tricked Sanemi by leaving her in a dinghy and did not recognize the names Uravian/Erevian. Venris then told him Sanemi had been hired by a contract devil to bring Carman alive into the vaults. Carman was rattled, wished he could help directly, and said probation kept him in town, but he promised to keep helping with gear. [S64 01:03:14; S64 01:05:29; S64 01:07:19; S64 01:09:28; S64 01:12:45]
Cid visited Bandy at the Dawnflower Library. She said she was recovering through prayer, gave him two holy waters, and discussed the Rajani line. Bandy connected Vol Rajani to Nidal, said Carman had drunkenly claimed some kind of Nidal royal bloodline, and pointed Cid back toward Carman for anything his parents may have told him. At Menhem Manor, Menhem added older family lore: the Rajanis traditionally defended Otari, Rosa Argentis was meant to return to Carman when he came of age, and Vol was remembered as a great warrior rather than a servant of Nidal's darkness. [S64 01:17:47; S64 01:19:53; S64 01:23:26; S64 01:25:30; S64 01:37:45; S64 01:44:32]
The party stayed at Menhem Manor, handled Venris's night checks, woke safely, and spent a full day shopping and preparing. They sold excess gear, converted silver and cold iron chunks into arrows, made a cold iron chakram, bought water breathing potions, wands, a Quick Runner's Shirt, crafting leathers, a bottomless stein, and a resilient armor rune for Cid. Attempts to turn the adamantine chunk into a special tetsubo were deferred because the job was too high-level and too expensive for the moment. [S64 01:50:19; S64 02:12:10; S64 02:13:32; S64 02:32:16; S64 02:42:23; S64 02:48:51; S64 02:59:21; S64 03:23:34]
The biggest gear discovery came from Rosa Argentis. Carman refused to alter his family sword, then demonstrated Blossom Veil with it. Cid copied the flourish and activated Blossom Veil too, surprising Carman, who had thought only he could do that. The table clarified that Rosa Argentis has been functioning as a +1 striking weapon for Cid. [S64 02:53:58; S64 02:54:28; S64 02:55:38; S64 02:56:37; S64 02:57:13]
After a second night at Menhem Manor, Veve had some soreness from the prior day, Abbas failed to improve Venris's nightly support, and Venris still had night terrors but no new symptoms. On Desnus 26, the party picked up finished rune work, researched contract devils and grave knights at the Dawnflower Church/Library, and learned that contract devils are infernal contract-makers with protected contracts, fire immunity, holy weakness, physical resistances except silver, and unusual scrying. The grave knight and Uravian both seemed higher level than anything the party had fought. [S64 03:41:01; S64 03:44:28; S64 03:49:57; S64 03:50:21; S64 03:51:52; S64 03:52:31; S64 03:55:26]
The session ended back in the Gauntlight. The party debated whether to deal with the grave knight or Uravian first, remembered they were still missing one of five fragments, and considered checking with the imp again. Abbas chose to inspect the warded door directly. As he prayed and used detect magic, the runes lit up and the door began to open. [S64 04:00:58; S64 04:02:49; S64 04:03:26; S64 04:13:52; S64 04:14:33]
| 00:00:06 | Recap and the Long Way Out The party recaps that they defeated the water creature after the hydras, lost the folding boat, recovered a lesser armory bracelet, and meant to leave the Gauntlight to rest. After technical delays and route discussion, they choose the normal detour rather than swimming back up. [S64 · 00:01:05 · turn 0011 · scene 001] |
| 00:16:36 | Scouting Past the Library The party retraces stairs, halls, kitchens, secret doors, and portals toward the surface. A table ruling gives Venris an extra ahead-of-party perception chance when he scouts; he hears the grave knight's metal steps in the library, warns the group, and they reroute through older portal paths until they reach Otari around sunset. [S64 · 00:18:07 · turn 0317 · scene 002] |
| 00:44:55 | Menhem Manor and Doriana's Secret In Otari, Abbas and Veve visit Menhem Manor to check on Doriana. The GM confirms Doriana's hand is healed, the gem is gone, and she is sleeping normally again; privately, Doriana shows Veve that she can levitate a plushie, and the GM frames the emerging power as something she was already developing and likely why she had been targeted. Menhem also reminds the party that the promised level-seven item reward still needs more days to arrive. [S64 · 00:48:06 · turn 0890 · scene 003] |
| 01:00:08 | Venris Warns Carman Venris finds Carman Rajani at the bar, sober under probation terms and throwing knives. Carman explains how he tricked Sanemi by leaving her in a dinghy with her gear gone, but says he does not know the name Uravian/Erevian. Venris privately tells him that Sanemi had been hired by a contract devil to bring Carman alive into the vaults; Carman is shaken, says probation keeps him in town, and promises to keep helping with equipment. [S64 · 01:01:27 · turn 1195 · scene 004] |
| 01:16:22 | Bandy and Menhem on the Rajani Line Cid visits Bandy at the Dawnflower Library. Bandy says she is recovering by prayer, gives Cid two holy waters, and answers questions about Uravian, Vol Rajani, Nidal, and the Rajani line. Later, the party regroups at Menhem Manor, shares what Carman and Bandy said, receives hero points, and hears Menhem's family lore about the Rajanis, Rosa Argentis, and Vol's role defending early Otari. [S64 · 01:16:22 · turn 1487 · scene 005] |
| 01:45:20 | Night Watch and Market Accounting The party stays at Menhem Manor, handles Venris's nightly condition checks, wakes safely, and spends the next morning selling excess loot. They convert silver and cold iron chunks into ammunition and a cold iron chakram, keep the hellforge glaive, and leave the adamantine chunk undecided for the moment. [S64 · 01:45:41 · turn 2016 · scene 006] |
| 02:14:19 | Runes, Rosa Argentis, and Spell Access The shopping day expands into special deliveries, scrolls, wands, and runes. Abbas buys a Quick Runner's Shirt and support magic; Venris buys a bottomless stein, crafting leathers, and potions; Cid receives a resilient armor rune. Carman refuses to modify Rosa Argentis, demonstrates that its Blossom Veil still works, and is surprised when Cid can activate it too. The table also leaves broader spell access mostly unchanged for now, with needle darts and similar options pending GM handling. Veve receives an unread letter from an Absalom friend. [S64 · 02:32:16 · turn 2920 · scene 007] |
| 03:32:47 | Second Night and Research The party spends the remaining downtime retraining, moving gear to Menhem Manor, and sleeping through another night. Veve has soreness after the off day, Abbas fails to improve Venris's sleep support, but Venris's will save leaves him with night terrors and no other symptoms. On the morning of Desnus 26, the party picks up finished rune work, researches contract devils and grave knights at the Dawnflower Church/Library, and learns enough to treat both Uravian and the grave knight as threats above anything they have yet fought. [S64 · 03:35:22 · turn 4299 · scene 008] |
| 03:59:36 | Back to the Warded Door The party returns to the Gauntlight by the cave entrance at 10:30 on Desnus 26. They discuss whether to face the grave knight or Uravian first, realize they still lack one of the five fragments and may need the imp's information again, and decide to inspect the warded door directly. As Abbas investigates with prayer and detect magic, the runes light up and the door begins to open. [S64 · 03:59:45 · turn 4735 · scene 009] |