Episode 33

Episode 33: Heat Of The Moment.

After departing from Rowindan with Rasmesus now owning Faelthorn, the next destination is the port desert city of Attahol on Ichorfall. The party of Callisto, Ganymede, Cici, Scrungus, Taylansta, Onyx and Praxis set foot in Attahol, a sandy city bordering a vast, hot desert. The Royal Enclave has an archeology center located here run by a man by the name of Hearth Poggret, who Methandi has been in contact with about the recently found temple. The party is to meet with them to be escorted to the Temple of the Twin Suns. They make their way to a large beige building in the center of it all. There, they meet with two small, Alnean men, Hearth and his husband. Hearth explains that Methandi is a good friend of his, having been helped by him many years ago, recognizing some of the party from when they were very young children. Hearth then details their mission: to investigate the Temple of the Twin Suns, accompanied by Hearth’s son, Jeremiah. Hearth explains that no one has investigated this temple yet, and doesn’t know anything about it other than it was built to honor the God of the Suns, Razzan, and one of his champions. A scout named Shiarah of the Rushingsands will escort them through the desert in order to get there, where they will meet Jeremiah. Shiarah, another Kreolyn woman, once knew Praxis and has grown up with her, and the two of them chat for most of the trip, catching up and getting reacquainted. The party does some quick stocking up, picking up new potions and weapons before the trek. This is when Onyx’s behavior becomes noticeable. Onyx begins acting strangely, almost sinister in nature. He demands that the party buy him new rocks, and acts very out of character. No one is able to figure out exactly why for now, but they just accept it and move on.

Afterwards, they make a quick stop at a wishing fountain, Cici, Callisto and Onyx making their own wishes and saying some prayers to Razzan before departing. The days adventuring in the desert proves to be peaceful, and the party camps at night. At night, however, Onyx’s strangeness comes up again. While Shiarah and Praxis catch up much of the night, Onyx begins to glow, radiating a strange energy. It’s clear they’re very out of it, coming off as almost hostile to everyone. The party agrees that rest might just do everyone some good, and tries to sleep it off.

The second night, the party finds a cave to rest in. Cici’s elemental form, Matsuku, roams around the party at night, realizing they have not met Taylansta yet. Taylansta, clearly wanting nothing to do with them, tries to brush them off, more concerned with Onyx’s behavior. Onyx has been chipping away at the cave walls with something, semi unresponsive. Onyx has a dagger, a glass dagger that they claim they took from someone back in Zada. Taylansta is able to deduce that this is Atlas, and this dagger may just be the dangerous one he used to kill Belladonna. Taylansta demands Onyx hand it over, and something strange occurs. Taylansta begins to feel a sense of anger and rage flood over xem as Onyx begins to feel normal again. Taylansta storms off, shoving Onyx to the side, barely controlling xyr anger. Matsuku follows xem, only to be met with violence from Taylansta. After Matsuku does not leave Taylansta alone like xey ask, xey attack back with ferocity. Taylansta and Matsuku have a brief altercation, the rage overtaking Taylansta as Matsuku defends. The fight is broken up almost immediately by Praxis, who puts everyone at a levelhead. Taylansta does everything xey can to hold back xyr need to punch Praxis in the face, and just runs, shaking and distraught, while Praxis keeps watch for the night for xem.

Morning comes, and Taylansta begins to feel calmer as Matsuku turns back into Cici. Praxis tells Cici that Matsuku was a bit restless the previous night, and had to slap them a bit to calm them down, not mentioning Taylansta at all. Taylansta is exhausted the next day, but seems to be handling the rage better. With the temple so close, there’s very little time to waste. They arrive at the archeology site, and meet with Jeremiah Poggret, and two other archeologists named Leia and Amya. The eccentric Jeremiah is thrilled to meet them, and even more excited to investigate the newly found temple. However, their entrance to the temple is interrupted.

A mysterious man, accessorized with a leather strap of metal capsules and some sort of shooting item, stops them. The half Etheral, half Teraidran, Quinn Cassidy claims to be looking for some sort of treasure, and won’t let the Shepherd crew get to it before he and his crew do. The Sunset Exiles, a group of misfit bandits lead by Cassidy himself, approach, threatening and imposing. Cassidy aims at the party, shooting a loaded capsule chamber at Cici, unleashing a bolt of fire towards her. The Shepherd crew refuses to back down, attacking back with just as much force. A fight breaks out between The Shepherd crew and the Sunset Exiles, a heated match between bandits and heroes. The Sunset Exiles are no laughing matter, with several members equipped with heavy hitting abilities. Quinn Cassidy moves sneakily around, shooting different spells through some sort of a revolver, unfamiliar in this time period. Him and another Exile, Dyna, light up the battlefield with strange forms of explosives and fire, resulting in a serious burn injury on Amya. The fight proves to be in the Exiles’ favor, the Shepherd kids taking some heavy hits. Callisto calls it off when he sees Cassidy put his revolver chamber up to Jeremiah’s temples, threatening his life. The Exiles and the Shepherd crew come to a compromise: The Shepherd crew and Jeremiah will guide the Sunset Exiles through the temple so they can take what they please, and in turn, they won’t take Jeremiah’s life or anyone else’s. If they promise to do that, the Sunset Exiles will let everyone live, and leave half of the treasures in the temple to the Shepherd. Despite the prickly Scrungus and Taylansta not entirely agreeing, these are the terms that get the Shepherd inside the Temple of the Twin Suns.