Descending once more into the Pit’s second level, our heroes ventured deeper in service to the enigmatic Remnant Insiroul. Their path led them through a corridor adorned with elaborate murals depicting the progression from Devil’s Platter to Sandpoint’s familiar buildings—but every scene was punctuated by a horrifying bat-winged, wolf-fanged, dragon-tailed horse creature trampling, devouring, and immolating screaming humans in lovingly detailed carnage.
In this macabre gallery, they discovered a massive ogre deep in slumber, his thunderous snores echoing through the stone halls. Rather than wake the giant, they quietly left provisions and slipped past undetected.
The hallway culminated at wooden doors painted to resemble the leering face of the monstrous horse, opening into a temple clearly dedicated to the Sandpoint Devil. Black stone platforms bearing seven-pointed stars flanked a disturbing statue carved from bound tree burls, looming over a blood-stained altar where scattered reed mats suggested recent worship.
Here they encountered Asmerelli, a red-haired halfling cultist dressed in fine court attire. With unsettling calm, she invited them to sit and revealed chilling details about her faith: the cult believes that if the Sandpoint Devil consumes sixty-six innocent souls, it will ascend to godhood. Though weary of tending to new disciples, Asmerelli yearned to follow her leader Jordus Munt deeper into the Pit’s mysteries.
When her suspicions grew too great, Asmerelli’s facade cracked, revealing her true nature as she exhaled gouts of flame at the party. Sothar’s lightning-fast spear work proved decisive in ending the threat.
A hidden door led them south into caverns reeking of decay and vinegar, where an elephant-sized dragon-like creature had made its nest among smashed stalactites. When the beast—a shantak—charged while screeching threats in Aklo, Variel’s linguistic talents allowed for hasty diplomacy. The creature, touched that someone bothered to communicate properly, offered safe passage through its domain. When they learned it had no name, Ner christened it “Bigclaw Redwing,” a gesture that delighted their new ally.
Their exploration culminated in a hemispherical chamber dominated by a slowly rotating, ten-foot-wide pale blue crystal that cast disorienting reflections across polished walls. Recognizing trapped souls within the crystal, Sothar acted without hesitation, shattering it with his warhammer. The freed spirits granted the party visions of Sandpoint’s prophesied dooms:
- The Sandpoint Devil racing across rooftops, igniting fires in its wake
- Citizens falling into tormented slumber as nightmares tear free from their dreams. - A humanoid transforming into the Sandpoint Devil, rising from the Pit to lead cultists against the town.
- A shadowy axe-wielder stalking Sandpoint’s streets by night.
- Ghouls rising from the earth to poison the air with deadly mist.
- An immense burning bird raining fire upon Sandpoint before a three-eyed demon claws its way from the resulting rift.
With these apocalyptic visions seared into their minds, our heroes now understand the true scope of the threat facing Sandpoint. Time grows short, and deeper mysteries await in the Pit’s shadows.