FCG took a defensive stance within the logging camp as the basilisk pack rushed up to surround them. Endrin cast haste on Malcolm before misty stepping out of harm’s way. Unfortunately for the party, those would be the only actions that Endrin took during the encounter as he found himself subdued and confused by a sudden surge of visions from his past life. Eris recognized the basilisks’ gaze as the source of their petrifying power and advised the party look away when engaging the creatures. Fighting blind was no problem for the seasoned Malcolm however, as he struck the basilisks with unhindered precision. The basilisks fought back, harrying the fighter with an series of poisonous bites. All of a sudden, FCG found themselves sprayed with water as a much larger, serpentine, basilisk burst forth from within the nearby lake. Fir reacted quickly, surrounding the monstrosity with a wall of fire. However, the raging column of flame did not last long as Fir was quickly bitten hard by one of the smaller basilisks, causing the druid to lose his concentration on the spell. Eris defended Fir, hacking away at the other nearby basilisks. Triple J blinked in and out of the battle, augmenting his allies with inspiration and tales from beyond whenever appropriate. During one of his stints on the material plane, the unsuspecting bard locked eyes with one of the basilisks and nearly found himself petrified, but managed to endure the foul magic without succumbing entirely. Through Triple J’s aid, Fir and Eris belched fire upon the basilisks, and Fir ultimately decapitated the large snake-like basilisk with a well placed moon beam. The trio rushed over to Malcolm’s aid, the fighter standing firm amidst a slew of basilisk corpses and blood. Eris dealt the final blow, finishing off the remaining basilisk and giving Triple J a lesson in swordsmanship at the same time. The battle was won and the camp secured with all of the petrified loggers still in tact, save for one who’d somehow lost an arm in the encounter.
Following the battle, Endrin’s vision cleared and the gnome plopped down in the sand to collect his thoughts. Though he was not part of the physical struggle, Endrin’s mind endured conflict all the same, albeit one between two opposing drow factions. Eris rushed over to check on Endrin while the others surveyed the scene and pondered what to do with all of the loggers. Eris, ultimately ended up channeling Bahamut’s holy power to restore one of the loggers from his petrified state. Grateful, the logger explained what had happened as well as shared some information about some mysterious, red cloaked, travelers that he’d seen passing through as of late. FCG assumed that the individuals in question were likely their quarry, the Claret Order. FCG stayed the night at the logging camp, partaking in some purified fish, thanks to Fir, as well as the loggers’ stash of rum. As the party settled in for the night, Endrin pulled Eris aside for a word in private. Looking out over the tropical lake, the two discussed the war at hand and how the party’s siding with the Dynasty would affect Eris’ noble familial ties in the Empire. The conversation eventually turned back to Endrin, and the implications of his anamnesis. The noble pair pondered the scenarios in which more than one Leylas Kryn existed, imposter or not, and decided that it would be best to meet with the one currently sitting on the throne in Rosohna sooner than later.
Eventually the party went to sleep under the protection of Triple J’s dome and took turns keeping watch as a precaution. When it came time for Endrin to take watch, the wizard laid out a set of material components in a ritual circle and cast legend lore, focusing on the Luxon Beacon he’d once held in his possession. His immense familiarity with the object allowed him to glimpse into the Luxon’s past. Endrin witnessed the story of the Luxon’s arrival upon Exandria an eon ago and its split into the multiple Beacons that have since been uncovered in present time. The story of Endrin’s specific beacon, showed a lone dodecahedron lying dormant, in wait, for millennia until eventually a single light found its way to it. Finally, Endrin witnessed the Beacon’s discovery at the hands of his great, great, grandfather, Tannin Finnask. In awe of the tale, and seemingly at peace for now, Endrin returned to sleep.
The next morning, Eris and Fir restored three more of the loggers from their statuesque state, and Eris took it upon herself to grant herself another title, the Un-Petrifier. The grateful loggers conveyed even more information about the Claret Order, explaining that they had taken residence within a ruined fortress a few miles south in the Vezdaweald. The loggers made preparations to return their petrified peers to Port Damali and began carefully carrying them towards the coastline. With only 24 hours left until they were due back in Rosohna, FCG set off into the jungle in search of the Claret Order.
Thanks to Fir’s keen survival instincts, it wasn’t more than a couple of hours before FCG found themselves outside a sandstone fort matching the description. Unable to detect any activity inside the keep from their current vantage, Fir transformed into a parrot and flew in for a closer look while the rest of the party remained hidden in the tree line. Flying up and over the high walls, Fir discovered some cannons atop the ramparts as well as a lively courtyard within. Fir perched on a tree within the courtyard and observed some men with red scarves sparring as well as a few others going about day to day activities. The sparring guards noticed the parrot’s presence however, and made a wager as to whether or not one of them could bury a crossbow bolt in the bird’s colorful plume. Fir heard the discussion and tried to fly up into the canopy for safety. As Fir took flight, a crossbow bolt pierced his back, causing him to revert out of his avian form and plummet to the ground. Shocked, the two guards reached for their blades and slowly began to approach…
