Session from 2021-05-18
Outcome:
The two gray dwarves shot their bolts and ran, but the party then outmaneuvered them, Blair slitting one's throat, Gino melting the other. Gokhal was ambushed by gray ooze that melted his armour and clothing, but he took the gray dwarves's banded mail. They dragged the bodies into an empty sideroom.
They found their way to the fiery priest, and listened to him for a while. WarFire was entranced. They slept in the back gong room. The next day, WarFire communed with Loptir, learning that the flaming priest is being punished by Justicia. He must repent for 100 years straight, and is now going on his 98th year. Ecix tried to artificially age him, but it seemed to have no effect.
Checking the bodies, they found them gone, when suddenly more footsteps approach. Turning everyone invisible, the party ambushes another patrol of six gray dwarves, massacreing them neatly.
Zofna seems to think he can smell the presence of the demon on the dwarves' corpses. Persumably the demon is their leader. The party debates about what to do, and Zofna says they are free to leave him here. He can tell them how to get to the Beastlands. Giving Blair a pouch with a maple leaf in it, he explains that they party must find a maple with a hollow in it, place the leaf in the hollow and the portal will open.
But the party has a change of heart, and decides to explore further into where the gray dwarves were heading. Blair sneaks ahead, seeing some ramshackle kobolds heading into a gated area, which they presume to be where the into where the gray dwarves were going.
Elkin summons a choking cloud and pushes it forward behind the gate, causing some gray dwarves to flee. Gino invokes Azi Dahaka, turning one portcullis into snakes, and the party advances, Gino nearly falling to his death from a grease trap. As they try to open the second gate, another group of gray dwarves appear from behind, and point their crossbows at the three waiting behind the second gate: Blair, Gokhal, and Zofna.