AD&D Session 88 - Blooming Grove
22nd of Duscar, 835 PD
After recovering Bane’s Mace and the Ruidus-touched stone from the vault beneath Caes Mosor, the party decided against pressing deeper past the strange chained being. With time already slipping away, the labyrinth’s many unopened paths now looked less like opportunities and more like deliberate delays meant to consume intruders. Choosing caution over greed, they located a quicker route back out and withdrew from the maze. Once outside, Molaesmyr itself felt subtly changed—whether by coincidence or by the relics they had disturbed was impossible to say, but the city’s atmosphere had grown distinctly more uneasy. Even so, the group managed to return to their usual campsite without incident. There, while identifying the day’s loot, Marcus happened to examine Whisper more closely and discovered an active scrying sensor on her. When the magic finally faded, the party chose not to risk remaining where they were and relocated their camp before settling for the night.
23rd of Duscar, 835 PD
The following morning, Marcus finished identifying the recovered treasure: among the spoils were a pair of goggles that granted sight in darkness, a quantity of sneezing powder, and various coin and jewels. More troublingly, the unknown spell Marcus had previously detected on himself was still present, and Koro’s magic proved insufficient to dispel it. Fearing he might have picked up some lingering magical affliction in Molaesmyr, the group abandoned further investigation and began the journey south, hoping to find druids of the Blooming Grove—or at least signs of the hidden path said to lead there. This marked a clear shift from exploration to withdrawal, with the dangers taken from Caes Mosor now following them beyond the ruins.
24th of Duscar, 835 PD
Just before nightfall on the second day of travel, the party finally reached Blooming Grove. Admitted into the settlement, they were received by one of the family heads, Constance. Their expected Cobalt Soul contact had not yet arrived, but had apparently sent word ahead that he would follow the next day. After the group had settled in, Constance privately questioned Marcus about what exactly they were carrying and how much danger the grove should prepare for. Rather than risk misleading their hosts, Marcus told her the truth: the party had with them both Bane’s Mace and Bibi’s mysterious stone tied to Ruidus. Constance was visibly unsettled by the mention of the Betrayer relic, though she regained her composure quickly; by contrast, the reference to the Ruidus-linked stone seemed to faze her far less.