(Continued from last time)
As the combat settled and the hyenas collapse, gasping their last breaths, before we could even move to recover Kincaid, we heard the ratlling of something banging agianst a door to the north. Kira heard the sound of claws scraping against wood and stone, so it isn't Matteo.
After some pounding, with Barrick braced near the door, a monstrous (apparently undead) gnoll breaks throught the door and roars, combat resumes. (This is the consequence of Hugh's words last session).
After a touch & go fight, the party is victiroious and defeated Vraxul, the large undead gnoll, and its fiendish companions.
After a short rest, we continued to epxlore the cavern and we found the map table that Zev was standing near.
This map appears to be the tactical view of where Zev's and his co-conspirators were pulling the Vuotomente in from. It looks like they've been targeting smallholds surrounding population centers without kidnapping people from the towns themselves. Effectively, people who wouldn't be immediately missed.
The documents on the table are not written in a language that the party is familiar with. It appears to be written in Calishite. Kira gathered the documents together so that we could try to translate them later.
For loot from the fight:
We also found (so far unclaimed):
There is some mechanism of dumping memory into a fluid, creating the Vuotomente. They are easily manipulated because their minds are then empty. We know Zev was an expert on gnolls from the Calishite campaign and we know that these caves were once gnoll caves. We can't tell specifically how Zev claimed the caves, but it seems the undead creature we fought was likely leftover.
While searching Zev's rooms past the table, we discovered a neatly stowed suit of Gati Amari armor, black with gold trim. We believe the white armor is Valerie, and the two red suits were Lillian and her friend. Zev's black Gati Amari armor is enchanted. Kira took the armor to identify it later.
The passage further to the north exits quickly from the hillside near another road.
After some discussion with Bruno, the party and Bruno agreed that the party would search for MAteo and Bruno would lead the Vuotomente to safety at a particular town. Bruno showed us the town on the map where we'd be able to meet him after finding Mateo. Bruno will also bring our horses to the town.
Gavin takes Zev's map for future comprehension. Hugh asks Bruno for a thorough description so we won't mistakea and Bruno shared relevant information so that we'd be fooled.
Kira spotted some fresh footprints in the dirt behind the cave. Large footsteps with an occasional smaller "footprint", perhaps a cane?
We caught up with them near a bridge over a small river over a shallow ravine. The man is large, likely Mateo. The smaller woman seems to be in charge and guiding him.
Gavin spoke with them. Mateo seemed confused when asked his name. Gavin asked the woman her name. Gavin, when she turned to face him across the bridge, recognized her face from historic pictures and icons. She has the face of the Rhinduan.
Gavin first calls her Ottilie, which she does not respond to. At Hugh's suggestion, Gavin calls her Zaranda. In response to that, she whispers to Mateo who immediately draws his two weapons and charged the party across the bridge.
The fight engaged