The Life and Times of a Deadman - Episode 32 - The Descent Beneath the Chapel

The battle against Myre ended with the necromancer barely able to stand, his strength spent. He revealed what he knew: he and his allies had gained their power through the dalecure, a dark ritual that bound their souls to the Realm of Madness. Their deaths, he explained, would empower the horrific entity they served. Myre claimed he had been led to the necromantic manuscripts by Hyve. As for the hag or the Horn of Quintus, he professed ignorance.

The group examined the spells detailed in the Pnakotic Manuscripts. They found high-level conjuration magic: Teleport, Planar Binding, and Gate. Surprisingly, there seemed to be no ill effects from casting them, at least not immediately.

The investigators catalogued what they knew about the remaining cultists:

• Baskerwell, the hunchbacked hermit who brewed potions, was confirmed dead.

• Crove, the asylum director at the base of Carrion Hill, had been in place for over a decade. He was deeply invested in the Realm of Madness, with extensive research and a reputation for experimenting on the unwilling.

• Meyer was found to have kept detailed ledgers: transactions involving spell components, bags worth 100 gold, and expensive writing tools.

The group turned Meyer over to the town guard for incarceration. They planned to visit Arland Hyve the next morning.

That night, Sabrina dreamed of her childhood home. Her family was moving in again. As she stepped outside, she soared high over the skyline of Sharn, flying above buildings from which dinosaurs inexplicably emerged. As night fell, she continued to drift peacefully through the air. When she awoke, she felt calm and centered—the rest of her night was undisturbed.

In the morning, the group made their way to find Hyve. He lived in a deserted chapel. Though the building was worn, it remained structurally sound. The front door creaked open into a quiet hallway and chapel. Audrey Rose opened the first door: a bedroom, with a bed so cold it felt like ice. The next door revealed a well-stocked larder. Another led to an empty room with a strange puddle of water. At the end of the hall, they found a trapdoor. It wasn’t trapped.

They descended a ladder into an expansive basement. Two side chambers were rigged as alchemy labs—Audrey Rose, impressed, began examining the equipment. As she did, a crossbow bolt whizzed past her ear.

From deeper within, footsteps echoed. Sabrina gave chase but was struck by a thrown vial, suffering sudden weakness in both constitution and strength. Their attacker wore a leather strap across his mouth. Audrey Rose gulped down a mutagen and charged in after Sabrina, coughing as she entered a swirling purple gas cloud.

Tweetie Bear and Dahl maneuvered around the cloud, as did Zita, moving swiftly and carefully. Bosley cast Ray of Frost, while London missed his strike. Sabrina attempted Hold Person, but the enemy resisted, diving through an opening and disappearing down a chute.

Without hesitation, Audrey Rose slid down the chute after him. She ricocheted off a cliff face and landed in water, catching a glimpse of a dimly lit cavern to the side. Dahl flew after her, Tweetie Bear in tow. Zita, using her enchanted slippers, climbed down the wall and helped Audrey Rose into the cavern. Bosley attempted to follow. Meanwhile, London cast Touch of Glory on Sabrina to bolster her efforts.

Suddenly, another crossbow bolt zipped past Dahl. The group, now wading through scum-choked water, pressed toward the fleeing cultist. Dahl and Tweetie took to the air while Zita climbed along the walls, navigating the space with her usual agility.

The party engaged the enemy in a final skirmish. Sabrina cast Hold Person again—and this time, the spell took hold.

With the fugitive paralyzed, they hauled him back upstairs for interrogation.