Terrifying Axolotl

Forced to abandon their cart due to dead horses, Fari uses Animate Dead to create a skeletal horse to pull them. While traveling, they spot a blue glowing light at a ruined chapel on a hill. Investigating, they interrupt a cultist in white robes sacrificing his followers to fuel a summoning circle. A massive Magma Axolotl bursts from the fiery rift, engulfing the area in flames and dealing devastating AoE damage. Grover polymorphs into a Giant Ape to wrestle the beast, while Vadis lands massive burst damage with his whip. Fari is knocked unconscious and nearly dies, but Little Guy heals her just before the party slays the axolotl and the cult leader.

• Fari animated a skeletal horse.
• Discovered and interrupted a cult summoning ritual.
• Battled a massive Magma Axolotl elemental.
• Grover utilized Polymorph to become a Giant Ape.
• Recovered a phase-shifting elemental amulet.

• Ruined Chapel.

• Elemental Phase Amulet (changes color based on planar proximity).
• 30 gold pieces.

The Magma Axolotl used a fiery breath weapon and a radiant aura that severely burned the party. Fari dropped to 0 HP and had to be saved by Fenwick's homunculus. Vadis hit multiple critical strikes to finish the elemental.

• Why are these cultists actively pulling creatures from the Plane of Fire?

• Grover: Turned into a Giant Ape ('Big Monkey Man') to physically brawl with a massive elemental.

"I'm big monkey man. Bring it on."— Grover

"Anyone's vulnerable to bug spray if you use it enough."— Fenwick

• The cult's activities with the Plane of Fire are escalating across regions. (Foreshadowing: pays off in Gorenobyl conspiracy arc.)