Their meeting with the Council complete, time was now of the essence. Quickly rejoining Skaeti at the Nightwolf, the party headed to Steinbjorn to inform Freythor of their successes in Skara but also to sent their plans in motion - for their army's arrival to coincide with Adaka's attack on Paelias, Freythor would need to march immediately. Eager for blood, the old dwarf needed little convincing, and the troops began mobilizing as the party returned to their ship.
Returning to Hnigalimar, final preparations began to use their coordinates and enter Hul Keghrim, but before the party rested for the day, they had one more interview to conduct - the Visitors had mentioned a book attached to the Ancients they had in their possession, an intelligent entity they called Numunal. Shimmer gave them some advice before bringing out the book - Numunal is friendly, but crafty. In all the years she has spoken with him, she has never fully understood what all he knows or what his motives are. She then retrieved a set of pentagonal plates held together by a silver chain covered in markings reminiscent of those the party had seen on the note they had found long ago in the dead halfling's pocket back in Framenturn... when they had found their first crystal. Asking him if he knew where he was, he informed them that he did not have capabilities to fully ascertain his location, but if he had access to a map of the Spheres, he could likely tell them. Shimmer expressed concern, but agreed to show him the map from the navigation system. After a few moments of silence, he began to explain that while the map as he had known it was definitely different, but that this location was once more central to the area the Ancients controlled.
The party also asked what the note actually said, which Numunal was able to translate easily:
He explained that the coordinates referred to the location of the Sphere they were now in, but he was uncertain what they called this world. The party then asked what happened to the Ancients, and Numunal responded with something called THE EVENT... but that was all he could - or would - say. Figuring that this line of questioning was moot currently, the party decided to rest, planning to head out in the morning.
On 10 Hagthorn, early that morning, Cephandrius finished the drawing of the teleportation circle and incanted the coordinates for the ancient Hul. A flash of light, an opened portal, and the party shuffled through into the darkness and still of a great circle room, standing on a raised dais. Heavy webs hung everywhere and dim light emanated from odd fungi growing here and there. As the party worked to get their bearings, Malva and Viktor noted something troubling; the dust on the dais, which should have been undisturbed, had reasonably fresh footprints - several distinct sets - circling the room and then heading off down a hall.
They were not the only ones here...