Amarion wishes to speak with Iravius about the intentions of the Servants of the Weave. Seeking him out in Lord Minerson's castle. Amarion finds the mage guild have taken over a whole wing of the castle's (now very crowded) interior. Amarion distrusts the human's intentions with the Death Stone, he presses Iravius to find that the order seeks knowledge, claiming this artifact is better understood, and in their control, than falling into the wrong hands.
Amarion also asks of the Weave's fascination with Edward, Iravius isn't against their concern as he too is convinced that Edward is on a dark path.
The journeyman abjurer spills further information... When the Element Stone discovery was shared with his order, a necromancer by the name Teo Ramu went missing. There is worry that he has gone rogue, possibly seeking out the Death Stone on his own, especially as the necromantic sect of the Weave is purposefully underfunded. Necromancy is frowned upon for those practicing openly, or too deeply. Further to this, Iravius assigns two apprentices to join the party to the Desecrated Iron Mine, to help identify Teo, should he be there, and arrest him for defying the Weave. Amarion leaves with the two young wizards to meet the others.
Meanwhile, also in the castle, Mornington seeks an audience with Wolfgang Minerson, he has not had the chance to ask some pressing questions since their arrival. He enquires around the King's intentions, and the unfair strong arming that has landed this responsibility on the party. Lord Minerson agrees it lacked the ideal consent, but they are experienced, with great achievements behind them, and should they choose, this will be their last assignment under his employ. Mornington agrees that that is probably for the best, though they still aim to do good deeds for Guradam. Lord Minerson adds that the King rewards those that assist him greatly. They may soon find themselves owning land, adorned with titles, garnering considerable wealth, should they be successful.
The lord turns to old duties; in the absence of their captains, the Faunar Garrison have already been paid, Lord Minerson follows up by handing Mornington this week's wage, a bag of 300 gold pieces, the last payment they will receive from him.
Edward, unlike the others, tries to go unnoticed in the castle, avoiding guards where he can. Before long he finds his way through the kitchens, servant lodgings and store rooms to locate the stairs to the basement, and by extension, the prison cells. A guard is asleep on a chair by the door to the prison, it looks locked, but has a barred window. Edward flies Familiar Artax to land on the windows' ledge, almost waking the guard. Then, he uses Artax's vision to Misty Step into the prison.
Now inside, Edward moves cell to cell looking for any signs of madended warriors as described to him by Crom. A pained muttering can be heard and Edward finds its source, a disheveled, cowering soldier. He is muttering something about eyes... many eyes... eyes watching him. When Edward addresses him there is no response, but when offering food the man lunges at the bars of the cell at an alarming speed. Edward struggles to communicate with this individual, he keeps talking of eyes, floating and following, always observing. The man starts reliving trauma, becoming loud in the process, Edward uses his warlock talents to command the prisoner to calmly help him. He manages to extract a shard of information, that the man's band of soldiers descended two tunnels before they were spotted, and then attacked, by one of the abominations that have been plaguing the area. They had thought they had seen an eye in the distance, in one location then in others, observing, reflecting back the light of their torches.
Edward, having expended his magical powers for the day takes a bold action to leave. Banging loudly on the door to the prison, the guard wakes up, highly confused as to how Edward got in there. With a devilish gleam in his eye, Edward convinces the guard that he let him in only moments prior, he is here on the King's business and how dare he forget the importance of his work. Truly baffled, and ashamed he was sleeping, the guard allows Edward to pass saluting as he does.
Crom has been occupying Dundel's Military Ward a lot these past days, training, sparring, honing his animalistic strength, as well as sleeping in the barracks. This day he finds himself speaking with Warner Kilner, questioning what the King's orders have been of late. What actions have been taken in the mine. Warner tells him that there have been pretty bleak outcomes. Many soldiers lost or if not, changed, incoherent, afraid. They are attempting to breach the lower levels to gain access to the Element Stone, but haven't got far in the process. Crom suggests that either the King or Lord Minerson devote some soldiers to join the party's efforts. Warner says that he doesn't have much he can offer given the situation, he enlists a veteran fighter from Dundel's troops to join the party and arranges horses for the journey across to the mine.
The next morning the party and their associates meet in the military ward. There are three more soldiers present, Warner has managed to get a field medic and two soldiers to join, but they are not to enter the mine. Ten men, Ten horses, they set out of the town gates, and gallop south towards the foreboding mine.
The adventurers do not encounter a single Unknown on their way to the mine, much to their relief. The three assigned soldiers stay at the mines entrance and guard the horses as the others enter the darkness. They carefully proceed, two sources of light to guide their way. Mornington's bullseye lantern at the front, and a regular torch towards the back. They map out the immediate area, Mornington and Edward recalling what they can based on their last visit.
Aiming to map chambers on the same level as the entrance, they find themselves in a chamber with a few pits that fall deeper into the mine. A wet, sludge of a sound comes from the ceiling above as a Unknown falls right by the party. Quickly the party try to kill it, but when striking it for the first time it is invigorated by the damage it takes, becoming more animated, more ferocious. Mornington has an idea, a hunch. He takes out a healing potion and launches it towards the abomination, as the glass bottle shatters across the floor, liquid splashes over the creature and the hissing of acidic burns are heard as the creature recoils. Dodging the oozes appendages, and then hurling further healing magic at this backwards, necrotic monstrosity, the party defeat it as it explodes in a shower of blood, covering the neighbouring walls.
Spattered with blood, but thankfully unscathed, the party have had a taste of the horrors to come, as they brave the depths of the desecrated iron mine.
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