008 - Retrieve the Bloodstone Chalice

The party rises with the sun and has a simple breakfast. They decide to go to the temple of Selune to meet the priestess Seline.
The temple is just a short distance from the inn. It has large columns, made from a light brown stone. The entrance, a pair of intricately carved double doors, is open. It is flanked by eternal flames in braziers.
As the group steps inside, they see stained glass windows, and walls covered with intricate murals.
At the other end of the church, there is an altar with another burning brazier. A priestess is working at the altar. She seems to be finishing a ritual.
Goosifer is feeling mischievous, and tries to sneak closer to surprise the priestess. In the silence, his feet slapping on the stone floor is easy to hear. Still, as the priestess turns to see, he gives a vigorous "HONK!"
The priestess says, "Oh, a goose!"
Sr. Bridie says, "Hi. I'm sister Bridie"
Rafael adds, "This is goosifer, I'm Rafael."
"Elysia" says Elysia.
"What can I do for you?"
Rafael explains that they are looking into the disappearances, people coming here and never leaving. They were told the priestess was trying to fix things.
The priestess, Seline, explains that the temple's bloodstone chalice was stolen. People are disappearing, then turning up... not themselves. The town is calling it The Hunger.
The chalice harnesses the power of life and death. It is used in their services. The temple flames are flames kept lit, symbolizing life. The chalice amplifies that.
Elysia asks how the chalice could be misused.
Seline says the chalice could be use to produce some kind of reversal of life - even to make people need blood to survive.
Sr Bridie confirms the timeline, "It was taken a couple weeks ago?"
Seline: "Yes. The town has been changing since then."
Sr. Bridie: "Before or after the last full moon?"
Seline: "After? Mind you, there's two moons."
Sr. Bridie: "Since the religion has a moon theme, does the moon affect the chalice as an amplifier?"
Seline: "Yes. was hoping to have it for the full moon tonight."
Sr. Bridie: "Are there clues as to who took it?"
Seline: "The stories of the priestesshood say the mountain is a source of life. I believe it has to do with the catacombs under the temple. but they have been magically sealed. There are rumors that the cave north of here has an access to the catacombs."
Elysia: "Who else knows about the catacombs?"
Seline: "Not many, they are mostly forgotten. Would you like to see the locked entrance?"
She leads the group to a door, engraved with skulls, bones, generally matching the life/death theme. "I can't get it open"
Elysia: "Who knows about the catacombs besides you?"
Seline: "Only other priestesses, but I'm the only one I know of. I don't have any suspects in mind."
Goosifer pecks at the door. As he pecks ripples of lime green energy confirm that the door is magically sealed.
Elysia: "Where is this cave?"
Seline: "Near here, easy to find."
Elysia: "When is the next full moon exactly?"
Seline: "Two days, but things are heating up. I can feel it. there is something afoot."
Sr. Bridie: "Is there anything else you can tell us or give us to help retrieve this chalice?"
Seline: "In fact, I do." She produces two healing potions and lends the group an amulet like Lysandra's. Sr. Bridie ends up wearing it.
Rafael: "Whose castle is that that towers over the city?"
Seline: "King Leo, from centuries ago. It's sat uninhabited. Our mayor uses it as a makeshift residence."
Rafael: "Have you been able to help the people that came back changed?"
Seline: "It seems permanent, but without the chalice I can't be sure. Something else: as you saw the river is red from the minerals in the mountain. I can't— I feel like this has something to do with the minerals, that this might be why this is happening here."
Rafael: "I guess we better get going, huh?"
Sr. Bridie: "Yes, time is short."
Seline: "Please help our town." She leads them to the entrance again and points out the cave entrance, where the river emerges. She says that's allegedly where the back passage to the catacombs is.

The group walks the short distance to the cave and files inside. The air is damp and musty. The ceiling and floor are spiked with stalactites and stalagmites. Ahead is a large pile of stones and boulders, blocking the path forward.
Goosifer and Sr. Bridie investigate. They see that the stones don't match the rest of the construction. Goosifer finds a pedestal.
Rafael gets closer and sees the edge of it has a carved area that has deep indents like those of of someone's teeth, with a pair of sharp incisors.
He leans over and carefully bites the pedestal, but nothing happens.
Sr. Bridie says, "We need blood. maybe mine?"
Rafael gets a little cagey about that; they decide to kill an animal.
They step outside and after a little while Rafael spots a blue heron and shoots it down.
He sucks it dry like a softened orange, then returns quickly to the pedestal and lines up his teeth again, still bloody.
The pile of rocks disappears! It was an illusion.
On the other side of the rocks was a corridor. They enter, and see two figures ahead. The group wasn't being quiet, and the sound and light they brought made them easy to notice. Initiative!

The group thinks about their location relative to the temple above. At a fork in the cavern, they decide to sneak to the left, which should move them towards the temple.
Soon they hear flowing water. The walls and floor here are covered in layers of spiderweb, except for a narrow path. Goosifer sees the webs and flies ahead to a clear spot. Everyone else carefully picks their way around the webs without disturbing them.
They head right at a fork and see rushing water. A cavern ahead has a rock in the midst of the water, and a torch in the wall illuminates the walls, which are coated in algae.
Goosifer flies over to the rock and sees an eye-hook. Elysia sees another one on the nearby shore. She gets out a 50ft length of rope and extends it by tying onto it some pants from her pack.
Goosifer connects the line to the island, tying it with his telekinesis, and the rest haul themselves along the rope to join him.
Goosifer flies back and gets the end of the rope, then fastens it to another rock island further on. As the group crosses the rope to the next rock, he flies to a landing off to the side and sees a crate. He opens it and retrieves a pouch with three gold coins, which he gives to Rafael.
comes back and moves the rope end to the north where there is a final anchor. The group collects themselves in a narrow passage, leaving the water behind them.

Break until next session