A Shocking Performance

Sorin explained that he, Arnogall, Balderich and Skonn had met a group of minstrels in the room behind them and Arnogall had played a flute so beautifully he was invited to play for their leader Aerisi. He accepted and word was sent to expect the party.  Balderich had offered the minstrels his skeleton arm which they gladly bought for two gold pieces.

Jarlier and Smiley joined them whilst Kilnaar, Drowyn and Baphomet followed a few paces behind  as they all set off for the huge stepped pyramid in the centre of the underground complex.  On the way there the party found a man lashed to a column. The was pale, gaunt and looked like he had not eaten for days.  He said he was being tested and refusing water or any aid he said he must learn to live on air alone.  He explained he’d been called to this place in his dreams.

Continuing over a moat and towards the pyramid, as dragon like creature swooped down and landed in front of them. Its rider introduced himself as Kaz and asked where they were heading.  He allowed them to continue into the pyramid informing them that Aerisi could be found in the upper chamber. Sorin didn’t think the creature looked like a real dragon and noticed its stinger like tail. Jarlier spoke to it in Draconic tongue but the creature just unintelligibly roared back.

The enormous pyramid doors were ajar with enough space for the party to enter in single file.  Inside they found people in grey feathered cloaks chanting and levitating.  The nearest of this group noticed the party but closed his eyes and continued to chant.  Two staircases led upwards and the party ascended and entered the upper chamber.

They found themselves in a spacious, twenty-foot-high chamber containing a map of an ancient dwarven realm meticulously etched into the flagstone floor.  At the far end of the chamber, a high throne atop a marble dais overlooked all.  Peaked arcades hung with gossamer sky-blue curtains running the length of the chamber on either side. From behind these a heady incense wafted, its sweet smoke moving like a creature of air. Behind the high throne, a great spiraling horn could be seen in an alcove.  On the throne they found a female elf with wings staring into the middle distance.  

She did not react to the party at all.  Arnogall announced himself and Aerisi began to question them.  She grew suspicious of the group but eventually asked Arnogall to play.  Unable to replicate his earlier outstanding performance he played badly and got worse as he continued.  Aerisi commanded him to stop.  She questioned them further and they told her they had just wandered into the dwavern city after visiting Feathergale Spire.  Realising they had no right to be there she told them they would never leave. Ten cultists appeared from behind curtains to the left and right of the party, their eyes suggested they were not fully conscious.  The cultists attacked but were strong only in numbers, not in might.  Skonn was knocked down and stunned, Arnogall damaged his own armour and Balderich landed a blow through a cultists eye socket, taking the eye clean out.  The cultists were defeated but before the the last of them hit the ground, Aerisi threw a blinding bolt of lightning at Sorin.  He dived out of the way avoiding the full force of the blast.  The lightning arched off him onto Skonn who was knocked unconscious and also to Smiley, almost instantly killing him.  Aerisi drove her silver spear at Jarlier and upon impact, lightning surged through the weapon.  As Arnogall struck what he thought was the killing blow, the party felt a strong wind surge from the staircases and whirl around the chamber.  As Aerisi's body disappeared before them, the gale surged back down the stairs and the air fell still.

The fallen party members were healed and Smiley and Balderich looted the cultists, finding their robes, daggers and some money.  Jarlier picked up Aerisi’s spear finding it almost weightless.  Skonn examined the horn and before anyone could stop him he blew it.  A djinni suddenly appeared before them.  He thanked them for summoning him and explained he could be summoned once every 101 years and commanded to perform one task or service. He was now released from his previous task of maintaining the crumbling dwarven city. He introduced himself as Ahtayir and told Skonn he would perform a single task of his choosing.  If Ahtayir was allowed to leave he would return with a reward for them. 

Skonn commanded that the djinni kill the dragon on top of the pyramid. Ahtayir disappeared and they heard the shriek of a dying beast and the sound of its rider falling down the stepped pyramid and into the moat. The djinni reappeared and gave each adventurer a blue corked bottle which he called bottled breath. Ahtayir then bowed and faded away.

The party donned the cultists robes and plotted their next move.