Crumbling Land session 5

(A writeup of the Crumbling Land campaign)

Lumistus awoke feeling fatigued and unwell. Tended by Clarine (Bliant's wife) his rheumy eyes began to clear well enough to see Anuryn and Credo as they sought to question him. Lumistus explained that his covenant was indeed the lost Val Negra and that it's symbol was a wheel with swords in place of spokes. He asked the year and declared that he had lost over a century in the torment of demons. He confessed to having been the one who found the key to unlocking the door to the underworld through which the demons entered our world. He drew out a rough plan of the covenant showing the well, down which were found ancient caverns bearing vis rich crystals. These crystals yeiled power which Lumistus harnessed in his research until, deep below the covenant he unlocked the gate to hell. This, he said, must be sealed. If that were done, the covenant could be occupied once more offering a home to Anuryn, Ophelia, Elenor et al.

Believing sunlight to repel demons Anuryn distilled the spring sunlight into 4 small glass bottles, each one giving off a soft light until broken when they should flare up.

Lumistus showed the way into the covenant, not by an early morning plunge in a cold stream, but rather he held one of the badges and inscribed an arch on the cliff face to reveal a doorway through which the party could enter. Reaching second door Credo commented on the two men they had seen at this location previously. Again they saw them, but the appeared nothing more than phantoms, unaware of the present world. However as the group drew near one of them pointed ominously in their direction and called "..the key..." and together they fled.

Lumistus bemoaned the lack of the water wheel driven lift that used to allow easy access up to the bridge, long since rotted and lost. Together they found their way to Lumistus' room where he recovered various tomes. He rooms contained various artifacts, shells, a death mask, stones and books, many of which were damaged with time, damp and vermin. Credo took it upon himself to explore another door, and quickly became ensnared in an illusory maze set to trap the unwary by a magi probably now long dead. Anuryn kindly rescued him, not without a litte taunting first.

Together they then left the covenant to join the camp outside to set their minds upon reading what they could of Lumistus' tomes, prior to making preparations to seal the gate. Perhaps once that is done they will manage to pull Val Negra out of winter and into a second spring.