Malta Session 52: Full Moon Night, Were-Creatures, and An Entrance To The Ways

We begin this weeks session examining the items off the Temple of Hades (and the Golden Medallion) when Jabari begins to feel sickened and suspects the quarterstaff gained off the priestess. The staff is stout and a very old with arcane markings. Several of our characters as well as Evagara examine it and each agree it is an item of antiquity. Our characters note it as we decide what is helpful to our characters and what will further our mercantile efforts.

Our characters return to the Broken Moon Monastery around midday, but about midway back a few of us notice a couple of ships out on the southern horizon, however none of us see details. Some of us use the day as downtime, while Jabari examines the necromancer's spellbook. A name, Acererak stands out from spell book upon examination while Lermang and Marco watch the horizon and looking for those ships. This until the full moon ceremony.

Later that night at the Full Moon ceremony, our characters find the monks dressed in fine lose-fitting clothes; the area definitely feels different like we are at higher altitude. The monks perform a combat opera until the full moon reaches a certain point in the sky filling the broken moon on the observatory. It is then our characters begin to feel lighter off the ground and where the moon finally fills the broken medallion on the monastery, strange images being to materialize. It is Evagara that realizes this at one time was a portal to the actual Moon.

The formerly stoic monks are now at ease and seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves and excited our characters are here to witness their celebration. The ceremonial and effects last into the late night and early evening.

As our characters make our way to our living quarters, a few of us hear what sounds like a wailing coming from the direction of the Temple of Hades. 

This piques our characters' curiosity and we begin to make some preparations and take to the air towards of the Temple ruins. At about 100 feet out, those of our characters who can see in the dark, spot two animal like humanoids- werewolves, as well as other individuals (Egyptians) who seem to be running from the temple. Then waves of bats erupt from the temple lower levels and as they do they appear to be growing in size. Our characters eventually discover the Egyptians were running from wererats.

Our characters quickly kill the werewolves and half the werebats. The wererats escaped but it is our character’s intention to explore the Temple undersides and after a time our characters come to an area that slopes down where it was rumored to lead to the Underworld. We find evidence of dried blood along the way but no other sign of were-creatures.

We continue despite the danger of the Underworld and eventually begin to feel a change in the surrounding environment. After a time our characters find a chamber with a strip of antique arcane symbols along the wall. In the center is a round patterned spray in the floor with six secret trap doors in the floor. We eventually tie this chamber to the Artificer and is an old as the structure above.

We investigate an inset in the wall to find a passage leading under the chamber and machinery rising out the darkness: old entrance to the Ways. So it appears this area is also connected to the moon and so when the full moon occurs an opening to the Ways opens to release were-creatures upon the world.

Eventually our characters decide to head back to the Monastery and tell some of the monks about the effects the full moon has on the Temple of Hades; eventually we make our way back to the building we have been staying at. When we are there one of the physic community tells Carlo of a vision he had and that was our characters in the underchamber and the entrance to the Ways. Tal then joins the conversation and states that Kella was once interested in the Ways and is possible she feared lost. Carlo mentions that one of the wagoners was last at the Temple of Hades.

Our characters take a well deserved rest and pick up with Carlo meeting with Stewart and investigating the VH Rapier and the quarterstaff from the priestess, as well as taking the seven prisoners to Dingli after two days.