Session 4 - Terrors Beneath

Synopsis
After the quick departure of Ateia, the party set about figuring out their plan to find the missing children in Malorem. They traveled to Shava's shop to ask if she could assist them should the worst come to be. After the Firbolg agreed to lend her aid in any way she could, the party returned to the Crooked Cockatrice to pass time until night. After they returned, they met two rather curious mercenaries from the band called the Golden Keepers. Kazimer and Vasati had been dispatched to Malorem to assist the town with its troubles, and the two small groups joined forces for the time being.

The party took the time they had to go in search of Annalee's cat, Salim. After a brief jaunt in the forests just outside of Malorem, they discovered that Salim was in the posession of a creature called "The Elder", a massive and exceedingly old treant who had taken a liking to the cat. The party was able to persuade the treant to return Salim to them, and then they traveled back to Malorem to wait until evening.

Using their magic to disguise themselves, Tyr and Micaiah set out ahead of the rest of the party to see if they could draw the possible kidnappers to them. The rest of the party followed behind, attempting (and somewhat failing) to appear inconspicuous. They spotted a suspicious figure watching their companions from a nearby alleyway, and gave pursuit when they ran. They discovered the suspicious figure to be a goblin, who simply skulked around the city at night for his own safety. During their brief interrogation, a cry from Micaiah's familiar rang out through the streets. Startled, the party quickly attempted to find their companions, but they had already been taken. The goblin, after being gifted some gold, revealed that the children were most likely being held somewhere in or around Malorem's sewers, into which the party quickly descended.

What followed was a trek through the disgusting halls beneath Malorem. Micaiah and Tyr awoke to find themselves in cells with children, clearly the ones who had been stolen from Malorem's streets. They spoke of a being called Akmagura, a shapeshifter, and one they could not escape from. After an hour or so, the rest of the party found the dark lair and freed their friends. After traversing the entirety of the disgusting place, the party attempted to leave, but was suddenly blasted by terribly cold magic. A large, hulking humanoid revealed itself to them, smiling wickedly as it stared down at the party. The battle had only just begun.