The group travels into the hillside and discovers a cave.
Farek’s keen eyes recognize that the location is actually an ancient building of some sort.
Inside the structure, the group encounters a puzzle and defeats slimes.
The Main Chamber
The group discovers a spring in the center of the main room housing an old artifact.
The artifact leaks "Strange magic" that resonates with a similar frequency to the piece of glass recovered from the tavern, suggesting an interaction between the two objects.
Bufo casts a spell that magically repairs the water/cleansing artifact.
The Encounter
Immediately after the repair, a rogueish figure appears from the shadows and absconds with the now-purified artifact.
The group attempts to stop him, but he is clearly beyond them in power.
Farek recognizes the thief as the same drunken man they encountered outside the trading caravan on the road.
Key Discovery
Farek recovers a mostly disintegrated book from the rotting shelves.
The text appears to be an encyclopedia covering sites similar to this one.
While most maps are indistinguishable, one legible reference remains: a location within the Fahill Nations.