- Cedric recalls having heard rumours of a corpse pit past the nearby forest - The party heads out to investigate the hole - There appears to be a large number of bodies in the pit - Cedric vomits violently - Astryx ritual casts Detect Magic - Kyo senses undead in the area - Some of the bodies are clad in purple robes emblazoned with eyes and hands - Ellette dispatches Rasp to search for potential further corpse pits - Astryx senses necrotic magic far below the hole - Kyo summons a Fiend Hound to enter the hole and search amongst the bodies - The hound retrieves a leg and brings it back to Kyo - The hound then returns with a second leg - On its third excursion, the hound brings back a spine with a head still attached - Cedric shoots his Finger Guns into the hole, attempting to aim them at open ground between the corpses - Nothing happens - Graxen enters the hole, finding that the ground at the centre as been recently toiled - Graxen feels something big moving deep beneath the hole - Kyo places a number of lantern oil pouches within the hole, intending to cremate the bodies - Ellette uses Elementalism to set the oil ablaze - Small figures emerge from the forest, wearing capes and hoods. They are roughly the size of goblins, but have purple skin. They begin to dance around the burning hole - Their robes appear to be torn cloaks - They claim to praise fire - They saw lots of "silly men with knives" - who made the hole. Some of the men were within in the hole - They say underground - where they typically live - is scary - There is a big bone worm in their home - The silly men cut out their eyes with a curly knife - Kyo draws in the dirt, attempting to indicate something to the goblins - They do not understand his drawing - Cedric antagonises the goblins - Ellette slaps him, he comically oversells her slap - This seems to please the goblins - The goblins dogpile Cedric - Rasp returns, having found no more holes - The goblins agree to dig us a hole to enter their tunnels if we agree to remove the worm - We make to return home, catching sight of Quintin - he appears to be sprinting towards the keep - Quintin is calling out for us, with panic in his voice - He tells Ellette a friend of hers is in dire need and is currently at the bar - One of the tables in the Lucky Gryphon has been turned into a medical station - Ellette recognises Berethor, in very bad shape on the table - Fizzle is pouring something onto Berethor, but Ellette pushes him away - Astryx casts Cure Wounds to aid in Berethor's recovery - A form of necrosis magic appears to resist Astryx's spell - Kyo uses Remove Contagion, which helps - but Astryx's spell still fails to fully restore Berethor - Kyo casts Remove Curse - A second casting of Cure Wounds is successful, stabilising Berethor - Berethor speaks of having fought a dragon - A blue ancient dragon, in the Anorak Desert - While travelling, he witnessed a group of sand dwellers being attacked by beasts he was unfamiliar with - but the beasts showed no interest in Berethor - He travelled on, in search of the dragon - but it descended upon him - He fell into a device in the sand, after the dragon parted the desert. He found himself in a fallen kingdom that seemed old and almost incomprehensible - It did not seem to be native to our plane - The dragon, attempting to continue pursuit, accidentally activated something that teleported Berethor here - Berethor requests healing herbs from the Faewild, which Ellette claims are now in possession of Nissa - Graxen goes to fetch them from her, returning with a handful of green herbs - Berethor makes a paste from the herbs, before rubbing it across his wounds - He complains that this is the wrong herb, but it does begin to heal his surface injuries - Fizzle requests a giant's toe as recompense for Ellette pushing him away from Berethor - Ellette takes the green liquid from Fizzle and offers it to Berethor - Berethor is completely enveloped in a grassy cocoon. It hardens, before cracking and falling away. Berethor appears to be fully revitalised - Ellette wishes for Berethor to spend two days recovering. He seems reluctant, wishing to visit Zoltan in search of a new bow - Berethor recalls that the dragon was being referred to as The Doom of the Desert - Quintin believes Elminster may have a book about the Doom of the Desert - but he is currently in Candlekeep - Ellette and Kyo request that Quintin order two crates of Scream Cheese from Chult - Ellette uses her Sending Stone to send Elminster a message, requesting the book - Elminster appears troubled that Ellette knows of the Doom of the Desert. He instantly appears within in the tavern - Elminster's book states that the Doom of the Desert died two hundred years ago - The Doom of the Desert is also known as Lymrith - Lymrith disappeared in the desert, with his bones later found. It is believed it was killed by the Phaerimm - This sparks Kyo's memory regarding the fall of the Netherese Empire - The Phaerimm consume magic - which created the desert in the aftermath of the Netherese Empire and Carssis' Folly - Kyo asks Elminster if he has heard any murmurings about Vecna - alluding to the cult activity at the nearby corpse pit - Elminster speaks of two possible leads on the black and red dragons - He refuses to elaborate until he has confirmed these leads - Cedric antagonises Elminster, causing the wizard to sap magic from his body - He restores Cedric's magic, but seems insulted by the bard - Elminster asks if anyone among us felt a massive pulse of energy just after Rakou's attack on Alexandria - He believes it may have been Vecna-related, with Elminster feeling he may have destroyed one of the books - Kyo counters that this may have been the result of us releasing Lord Robiliare - Elminster is very troubled by this news - Ellette and Kyo complain to Quintin about advancing Krunk's rank in the guild - Kyo shoots Ellette bombastic side eye as Quintin justifies Krunk's progress - Berethor speaks with Elminster, assuring him that the Doom of the Desert is still alive - Deducing from Berethor's recount, Elminster believes Lymrith has discovered the remains of one of the cities of the Netherese Empire - Elminster takes his leave, pledging to find out more about the red and black dragons - After a day, a pigeon arrives with a note - The Known Crimes of Lord Robilliare. After numerous pages, the note is signed Elminster - Berethor rests and buys a new bow from Zoltan. Ellette forbids him from leaving to resume his hunt for the blue dragon - Berethor agrees to wait one week while we deal with the corpse pit