The next day, the party gathered in the inn lobby and decided to retrieve the next piece of the gem which, according to Damion, was in a shrine nearby. Damion, himself, decided to find more information on other bits of the gem. He said that he would meet them in town when they returned.
Upon reaching the shrine, the group entered a circular room to find a series of seven circles on the walls, which Zarius identified as a portal system. Valentine pointed out a stone slab which turned out to be the activation mechanism for the portals. All but one of them glowed a blue-ish color, indicating that they could be used.
Lexi lead the group into a portal to the southwest, through which was a room with a statue of an angel in it, along with a button on the wall. Lexi pressed the button, and a grinding noise filled the air as the angel statue began to move... and battled with the party. It was slain fairly quickly.
After returning to the circular room as a group, Zarius lead the party into the northwest portal, the room beyond which is empty except for a button as in the first room. When Valentine presses it, the party is attacked by a swarm of fifteen bats, most of which are killed by Skye, using his crossbow.
Returning to the central room, the next portal taken was the northeast portal. The button in this room, much like the last one, released enemies into their midst, this time in the form of two bears. Both were killed by the party, and one heart was harvested by Zarius for Lexi, who had wanted to eat one.
After this battle, it was decided by the party that rest was needed, and Skye remained in the main room of the shrine by himself while Zarius, Lexi, and Valentine returned to the cave in which Scaresh stays, sleeping on his pile of gold. Deciding to spend the night with him, they return to the shrine in the morning.
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Upon the party reuniting in the morning, the group entered the Southeastern portal, awakening a Large troll skeleton by pressing the room's contained button. The party defeated this foe, and returned to the main room.
Entering the south portal brought them to a similar set up, a button inside of a room... which contained two graves! Without looking at them, Valentine pressed the button, unleashing two ghouls on the party. Defeating them rather swiftly, the party then proceeded to the final open portal in the north.
In the center of this room was a grey creature with a large, ovular head. It stood in a cage, which was unlocked when Lexi pressed the button located in that room. Walking toward Skye, the creature suddenly copied his external appearance, save for its yellow, slitted eyes. The party attacked it, many of their attacks missing, and Valentine summoned an owl, which served well as a diversion by keeping the being distracted while the petty attempts of the party to deal a damaging blow to the monster fell short repeatedly. After a time, the creature turned its attacks to Lexi, though it missed her. She returned the attack, and killed the beast.
In the main room once more, the open portals shut down, and the final, previously inactive one glowed green, allowing them passage through into the last room. Within it, they saw their prize, a piece of the crystal, sitting on a pedestal beneath a sign reading "DO NOT TOUCH." Zarius grabbed the chunk despite the warning, causing the shrine to collapse. Escaping the shrine at a run, the party was safe at last.
Having successfully exited the shrine, gem in hand, they return to the town to find Damion and inform him of their success...