Entry CXLIV — The Hollow Spire Rescue Attempt

Compiled by Keldan Stonehearth,
Head of the Siuthruna Historical Society

What follows is a consolidated account of the expedition led by members of the Gilded Compass—Sphen, Ruth, Paulus, Skazer, and later joined by Eetu of the Biru goblins—intended to recover two missing adventurers, Kogath and Gobit, from the clutches of the moon-worshipping cult entrenched within the Hollow Spire.

Preceding Intelligence

Prior to their departure, the group interrogated a surviving cultist captured during an earlier skirmish. Under questioning, the prisoner confirmed what many of our older records have only hinted at: the Hollow Spire is not merely a hideout but a breeding ground for shadow-beings—entities the cult regards as “gifts from the moon,” brought forth through blood sacrifice.

From his testimony, it became clear that Skazer, due to his tiefling heritage and circumstances surrounding his birth, had drawn the particular attention of their leader, Sythravel. This alone might have given wiser folk pause, but adventurers seldom heed caution when loyalty is involved.

Descent Beneath the Mountain

The party traveled through underground passages leading into the Spire’s lower chambers, encountering pits of imprisoned humanoids and even cyclopes—intended sacrifices awaiting slaughter. It is here that the first wave of shadow-creatures attacked, described as beings of unnatural darkness requiring swift and coordinated effort to defeat.

Both Sphen and Ruth fought at the forefront—Sphen holding breaches in their lines despite his halfling stature, and Ruth’s prayers echoing through the cavern as they pressed on. The freed prisoners were guided back toward safety, but the worst remained ahead.

Confrontation with Sythravel

At the threshold of escape, Sythravel himself emerged—cloaked in light-consuming shadow, flanked by cultists and more of the moonborn horrors. In his grasp were the prisoners they sought: Kogath, Gobit, and two children. With a single gesture, the cult leader severed the group’s retreat by raising a barrier of necrotic energy.

Sythravel demanded Skazer’s surrender. The tiefling was prepared to give himself willingly. Paulus, typically the calmest of the lot, struck the first blow out of sheer anguish.
The battle that followed was brief but overwhelming. Both Skazer and Paulus fell to the edge of death more than once; the tide only turned when Sphen called out for a truce—bargaining Skazer’s life in exchange for the withdrawal of the rest.

Against all expectation, Sythravel accepted. Gobit was released. Kogath and Skazer were taken.

Retreat and Aftermath

With the energy barrier dispelled and the cult ranks standing down, Ruth stabilized Paulus while the others gathered the children and surviving freed captives. Sythravel, in his arrogance, declared that Siuthruna’s fate mattered little to him—only his ambition to blanket the world in the Great Moon’s darkness.

The return to the Gilded Compass was somber. Thrain issued gold above and beyond expectations, though both Sphen and Ruth recorded their discomfort with such reward in the face of loss.

Keldan’s Closing Note

Though the adventurers showed courage—rash in some places, admirable in others—the result is difficult to dress with heroics. Two companions remain in enemy hands. The Hollow Spire stands, and its leader grows bolder with each passing night.

If these accounts are accurate—and I trust both parties not to embellish—then the darkness at the Spire is not a local threat but a rising calamity. The cult’s interest in Skazer suggests intent beyond ritual sacrifice. Their shadow-creatures, their necrotic wards, and Sythravel’s declaration all indicate deeper ties to the forbidden worship of the Great Dark.

This entry will be sealed until further reports are gathered.

— Keldan Stonehearth
Siuthruna Historical Society