Dravago, 1000 YK
- They ready themselves, and open the door to the Trial of Atcha.
- They recall the The Tale of Mur'taal, and how he got stuck in his own Trial of Atcha, as he was too prideful and held Atcha above Muut.
- Warden wonders how to open a door pridefully but not too pridefully. After an hour of deliberation, Lozaal determines that's probably not the trial.
- They enter and meet the Shade of Mur'taal. They have a brief conversation with him, where he asks what they intend to do with the Chains. Lozaal explains they wish to study them, and that they could be a symbol to reunite the Empire.
- Mur'taal thinks their cause is noble enough, but his atcha won't allow him to simply part with the weapon. They'll need to prove they are worthy of his legacy.
- They fight Mur'taal, and he's very scary. He's quick and his movements are graceful. He dances around them for several seconds, lashing out with the chains. To quote Warden, "he's kicking our ass!"
- Leonus summons an Undead Spirit.
- Dax summons a Couatl (Celestial Spirit)
- Warden summons a swarm of giant wasps.
- Mur'taal goes out of his way to beat the crap out of Warden in response to this.
- Lozaal apologises for the lack of honour on his party's behalf.
- With a final hit, Mur'taal dances to the center of the room and concedes. He scowls, and before he vanishes, the chains rust.
- Dax is confused, this doesn't seem like they won?
- Lozaal thinks Mur'taal, if it was even Mur'taal, is being a sore loser.
- Lozaal takes the chains.
- Kal casts Beacon of Hope and the party all heal.
- Warden asks Leonus whose bones he summoned. Leonus simply states the skeleton is property of Karrnath.
- His name is Mr. Bones.
- With the chains collected, the hall they're in extends and a cracked pair of adamantine doors appears at the far end.
- Leonus asks Lozaal if that was meant to happen. Lozaal says he's been here just as long as Leonus has!
- They go up to the door. Lozaal asks if everyone is ready. Everyone (including Mr. Bones) expresses agreement. Leonus asks the skeleton who asked him?
- Kal is affronted.
- Lozaal opens the door, which leads back out to the Vale, about an hour from where they left Tantuul.
- Lozaal tells Leonus to lead the way, which confuses him. Leonus asks why, and Lozaal explains that he knows the terrain as well as any of them. They have a little discussion and Lozaal then asks Warden to lead, to which Leonus says fine he'll do it.
- Dax asks if they should look around the room some more. She sends her summoned couatl to get Leonus back.
- Warden goes back into the room to search it, and is met by a ruin. It doesn't look the same as it did when they were just in there.
- While Warden searches the ruin, Leonus spends some time teaching Mr Bones correct military posture (unsuccessfully).
- With the ruin searched and nothing found, Lozaal tells Leonus to lead the way.
- Leonus and Mr Bones leads the way back to Tantuul's camp. As they make their way out, Mr Bones' time runs out and he collapses into a bile of bones, which then dissolve and blow away in the wind. Dax's couatl also disappears.
- They get back to the camp, and see Tantuul asleep by a campfire. Kal and Warden notice something seems off, and notice blood on the tree next to him.
- Lozaal goes up and kicks Tantuul in the leg.
- Warden checks to see if Tantuul is alive, but determines he is dead. Leonus confirms he is not dead.
- A bugbear yells at them from a nearby cliff. They declare that the party are trespassing on land belonging to the Kalkor, and have entered their sacred ground and stolen from them. They can see the Chains on Lozaal's belt.
- Lozaal is tired of having to justify his claim, and refuses to return the chains.
- The bugbear calls out to "take them!" and the group is attacked.
- One of them beats up Leonus, and he gets really angry. He begs Lozaal not to kill that particular bugbear so that he can do it, which he then does.
- Kalshana uses Command to make one of the Marguul grovel. She then takes his morningstar while he's grovelling.
- Dax drops the Hypnotic Pattern and yells at the Marguul to run. They scowl at her, yelling that there will be a reckoning, and then run.
- Lozaal puts Tantuul onto Zedd, and then they leave quickly.
- Tantuul wakes up about an hour later and is very confused. He thanks the party for saving him.
- They get back to Rhukaan Draal and meet Lhara. Lozaal gives Dax the chains, as he has some business in Darguun. He wants to report back to the Kech Volaar.
- Dax, Kal and Leonus will go with Lhara back to Sharn. Warden goes back to Avrahk Mbar'ost.
- Lhara pays them all 200gp, 50gp more than was agreed, before they go their separate ways.
- Leonus immediately takes his "fat ass pay cheque" to get some bananas.
- Warden wants to buy an Agate but can't find any in Darguun.