#67 - Finding the beacon

 While aboard the Godetia Minaru the party met with a Githzerai officer named Narmak Rinrath.  Rinrath acts a sort of ambassador to all non-Gith people who come in contact with the Minaru.  

Several months ago, Sihirbaz appeared on the ship.  Not in physical form, but as a magical projection.  Rinrath was assigned to speak to him.  Si asked many questions about the presence of a Gith outpost on Ares.  Why was this location chosen?  Why had it become so important that they would choose to station and Anarch here, and build an adamantine tower here?

Rinrath didn't have the answers to these questions.  But he did arrange for Si to meet with the Anarch.  Rinrath knows that the meeting occurred, and that Sihirbaz spent time in the Ares Outpost city.  But he knows little more than that.

Using the homing device that CP-Thirty possesses, the party was able to locate the beacon that Si had set.  It was in a desert location, 4 days journey across a dune sea from the city.

The party called upon a favor owed to them by Captain Hurst.  Hurst faired them to the surface of Ares, stopping first at the Ares Outpost city to drop off part of the group.

Chace - Arceus - fairy druid
John  - Lenny - Warforged fighter 
Patrick - Mahlkier   - Wood elf Ranger

The remainder went on to the location of the beacon.  

Bill - Perra  - Dragonborn Paladin
Stan - Samm - Human Fighter
Randy - Jedwin -  Human Wizard
Brian - Whisper - Tiefling Rogue

They found the beacon in temple ruins in a canyon.  While recovering the beacon they were attacked by a stone golem, and number of sentient boulder creatures, apparently set up to guard the temple ruins.

   

With some difficulty they defeated the stone guardians, and recovered Si's beacon.  It came with a message.

Regrettably, I must be brief.  I have arranged this beacon to signal for aid only if I have not returned from my journey within 10 days.  I suspect that the Constructs that guard this temple will have regenerated by the time you arrive here.  My apologies for the challenge that they may have presented. 

I have come to Ares out of curiosity and concern.  Why would the Githzerai have chosen this world for an outpost?  I believe that the answer to this question may lie in the ruins of an ancient city.  It is there that I have gone.  I plan to travel east from here, perhaps two days journey by camel.  I believe I will find a labyrinth of natural canyons, likely partially buried in the dunes.  The entrance to the city is to be found there.

The party waited over-night for Captain Hurst to return to pick them up.  While they waited they recovered a number of small artifacts from the temple.  These were small statuettes depicting Thri-Kreen figures.  They also observed that the temple alter is less worn down than the rest of the temple ruins, perhaps indicating recent repairs.  It seems that maybe someone is still using this temple for some purpose.  

In exchange for the recovered statuettes, Captain Hurst agreed to continue providing taxi service to the party as they explore Ares.  He returns them to the Ares Outpost city, and promises to help them journey to the ancient city that Si's note mentioned.