Rescue of Erdan

With the death of the Crimson Acolyte, the power controlling the remaining undead is gone, and they fall to motionless mounds of flesh and bone.

As Leenia helps the ancient elf to a sitting position, he introduces himself. "Thank you so much for coming to my aid, I am Erdan, former and I guess once again, High Priest of the Citadel, Keeper of the Seasons, and one of the oldest elves you are likely to meet."

"As you probably know, 50 years go, this island was invaded. When I saw the fall was imminent, I had to make the decision to stay or leave. Like everyone else, I had decided to leave, and then I learned of the heinous acts of this one," kicking the corpse of the Crimson Acolyte. "I could not allow him to continue his vile work, and for 50 or so years, we have fought each other to a standstill. I have done my best to stop him from desecrating those who have been preserved here, but have failed on several accounts. That is behind us, I have done my best to limit his activities and succeeded.”

“Then a couple days ago, the Cult of the Infernal Fang arrived on the island. They went looking for the Seal of the Seasons. It had been hanging at the top of the cathedral for centuries, however, I had it removed and hidden down here with me before the island fell. It is a powerful artifact, but also huge, it took 3 men almost a day to move it down here. For 50 years I kept it hidden and safe. Then Damakos arrived. He truly is a terrifying being. He knew exactly where to find me and the Seal. Whoever his patron is, it has truly blessed him with great power. I was no match for the Cult and they took the Seal with little challenge. He turned me over to this accursed monster,” kicking the body again. “And he began the ritual you interrupted on me. Had he succeeded, he would have ripped my soul from this body. What I would have become, I do not know and wish not to consider.”

“Back to Damakos, he ordered three of his men to begin transporting the Seal to their boat. He and the rest would be waiting for them there. Because of the magic placed on the Seal, moving it away from the Citadel is extremely difficult unless you are the Keeper of the Seasons. As such, their progress has been slow and I believe you can catch them and retrieve the Seal.”

At this point, Erdan gets off the table and asks the party to follow him. He leads them down a couple corridors into an area that acts as a drain for the catacombs. He unlocks and removes one of the grates and enters a small tunnel. A minute later he returns with a potion and scroll. “Everyone take a sip of this potion, it will revitalize you and give you the endurance to catch the foul spawn that are transporting the Seal. Take this wizard,” handing the scroll to Kuppies,” it is an enhanced Floating Disk ritual that will allow the Seal to be returned here with little physical effort on the part of all of you. Now quickly, be on your way, I will be awaiting your return and will answer all of your questions then. One more thing, among the Cult is one known as Melech, if you encounter him, do not kill him. While Damakos treats him as a lieutenant, I do not believe his heart is filled with the darkness the rest of the Cult possess.”

The benefits of the potion are complete restoration of hit points, daily powers, and healing surges. It will also allow you to travel quickly enough and without rest so that you can catch the members of the Cult that are transporting the Seal.