A Medusa

After breaking free from the demiplane by disrupting the Rakshasa The Hidimba’s Planar Engine that the Duergar were (inadvertently) powering, Lady Margo and her people took control of the sirablood refining industry on Aurochs.

The Argotian embassy lands on Aurochs, ready to fulfill the deal with Xarog and the Duergar only to find [[ Lady Margo ]] instead. She has already sent away the Mineosi Ambassador, incensed at any demand on her sirablood, which she uses to preserve her beauty. She lashes out at the Embassy and the heroes are able to send her fleeing after bloodying her. They find two rubies and 200 gp in a chest.

Xarog and his people arrive just in time to not be any help at all, having fought their way through the tunnels against the Lady Margo’s servants. Xarog suggests the heroes go seek out the lady’s alchemist to obtain the devils ore. They meet the alchemist, who is a charming skeleton in a witch’s hat, and help her refine some devils ore into sirablood. She asks to come with them so that she may seek out the rest of the sirablood recipes.

Running out to chase down the Lady Margo, the heroes and the Argotian escort, nearly 200 strong, witness the medusa being struck down by fire bolts amid the standing statues of the aurochs she petrified.

Through the smoke billowing from Margo’s corpse steps a yellow-robed figure with a mask floating before it. The robe is full of shadows. It says the following to you:

“Ah, it is you. All of you. I can smell the Rakshasa on you. You are the fiend’s playthings, the ones who killed my ambassador, correct? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god.”

The Deathless One shows its true form, an eldritch horror of twisting humanoid skeletons trying to escape from a dark viscous shadow with a white screaming mask floating in front of it.

Nine others appear, slaughtering several soldiers, using its black shadow blades and a devastating fireball spell. The first deathless one stops time long enough to banish you all to your ship, into a misty sea. Before sending you away, they say:

“I know the tiger likes to play with his food before eating it. Is that your ship out there? I watched you come ashore. I’ll leave you to him. Hespero right? That is what he is calling himself now?”

You appear on the ship, in a misty sea, alone aside from the crew, Baltsaros, Teo Ramsen, and The Alchemist, who has come with you. Leandro Damaskenos, Xarog, and their armies’ fates are unknown.

Things you learned:

• The Hidimba is the rakshasa you saw in the fresco leading a ship of undead. He banished the medusa to a demiplane. He invented several uses for sirablood.
• The deathless one was once a lich before stealing sirablood recipes and several sources of it.
• The medusa knew the lich and Hidimba both, saying that in some lives they are allies, in others enemies.

• The alchemist is centuries old and has forgotten many of the sirablood rituals. She wants to seek them out. \

  31 till Zulon’s arrival\

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