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Start: 2nd of Nasim, morning, heading NE to the lake then east to excavation site. 5 days of travel needed, Piddlewick II is with the party.
The party traveled for 5 days with no further significant incursions. On the eve of the 7th of Nasim, the party found the lake which was west of Outpost 31. There, they set up camp, and right as night fell, they spotted a figure running north towards the lake. Once they came within a few hundred feet, the figure seemed to spot them and sprinted east. The party sprinted after to pursue them. Using many of their resources, and after the figure summoned a Phantom Steed to move faster, Shoresy managed to slightly outpace the figure, and they caught up. They questioned him as high speed, and he didn't reveal much beyond he was a courier for Excavation Team 31 and was scared of the group's pursuit of him. They didn't stop him from entering Outpost 31, and the party arrived at the excavation site.
On the outskirts of Outpost 31, the group were confronted by and introduced to a number of individuals: the leader MacRiada, his second in command Childé, their cleric of Duxen Blair Brimlock, and the courier Tybble Ravenot. MacRiada questioned the group and explained that the goal of Excavation Team 31 was to secure the site, dig further, investigate the ruins of Rivelish within, and prevent any outbreak of the strain of vampirism they've encountered thus far. As such, he asked everyone to submit willingly to a quarantine in the holding cells within their facility for the night. After much opposition and some tense interactions, the group agreed. Following MacRiada into the research building and into the basement holding cells, the group saw one of the 4 cells occupied by a vampire spawn, who would later be identified as Iksil. Bill's Bimbos were split between the 3 remaining cells. Aoife Sweeney and Nesdin agreed to being shackled by the Dimensional Shackles within, while Rohtagels and Calliope openly refused*. During the night, the silent and creepy cleric Blair Brimlock communed in the holding cells and identified any traces of vampirism around the members. Aoife Sweeney's Detect Thoughts revealed that everyone was clear except for Rohtagels who seemed to have some ambient traces of a type of vampirism.
After resting in the holding cells and waking up the morning of the 8th of Nasim, the party were released, and Childé gave the group a warmer welcome. He informed the party of the defenses of Outpost 31 as well as the precautions taken to prevent the spread of vampirism (silvered everything, daylight around the Outpost 31 and the excavation tunnel entrance, Blair Brimlock's expertise on Undead). He also pointed them out to Tybble Ravenot, who was still skittish around the party and quickly left (Aoife Sweeney attempted to read Tybble Ravenot's mind here or earlier and discovered it was magically warded). Tybble Ravenot left for Garyn, and Childé informed the party that MacRiada had connected with their benefactor, Caen Zauber and informed them of the party's arrival. He revealed Caen Zauber seemed to encourage allowing the party to enter Rivelish but without any aid in the hopes that they would get wrecked. The party went around Outpost 31, took a few silver daggers, and proceeded into the excavation tunnel. At the top of the first ladder, Piddlewick II pushed Calliope into the vertical tunnel, but he was uninjured, which infuriated Piddlewick II even further.
End: 8th of Nasim, mid morning, at the entrance to the tunnel down into Rivelish, outside of Outpost 31 accompanied by Piddlewick II.