The morning came with an eerie stillness. The party stirred from their rest, stretching and preparing for the day ahead. But their peace was shattered by a horrified gasp from Esmerelda. “Demetrius!” she cried, frozen in place. The party turned to see the mayor being dragged by long, grotesque fingers into [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]]’s bag of holding. His screams pierced the air as the party scrambled into action. [[Ellette|Ellette]] darted forward, grabbing Demetrius by the shoulders while [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] pulled at his arms. [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] joined in, his vine-covered hand wrapped tightly around Demetrius’s torso. “What’s happening?” [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] shouted, her lute clutched in her hands, ready to cast a spell. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]], stunned at first, gritted his teeth and joined the effort to free the mayor. The entity—whatever it was—fought back with unnatural strength, and it took everything the party had to wrench Demetrius free. When they finally succeeded, gasps of horror filled the air. The mayor’s lower half was missing, as if still trapped inside the bag. “Turn it inside out!” [[Ellette|Ellette]] ordered, her voice trembling. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] obeyed, flipping the bag inside out. A cascade of items spilled onto the ground—toys and books for the kids, a few health potions, and, horrifyingly, the mayor’s legs. Without hesitation, the party worked together to reattach his legs. Using a mix of magic and sheer desperation, they carefully placed him back into the bag and pulled him out again. To everyone’s shock and relief, it worked. Demetrius lay on the ground, trembling but whole. “What in the nine hells was that?” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] demanded. Esmerelda’s voice was shaky as she explained. “The Bagman. A near-unkillable entity that lurks in bags of holding. Stories say it was once a man who got lost between dimensions. Now it hunts for victims.” The party exchanged uneasy glances before sealing the bag tightly. “We’re not using this again,” [[Ellette|Ellette]] said firmly. The others nodded in agreement. The group continued their journey toward the swamp, their nerves on edge. They were certain one of the winery’s gems was in the hands of Baba Lysaga, and every step closer deepened their unease. As they travelled, they came across a body hanging from a tree. Its lifeless form swayed gently in the breeze, and a dagger was lodged in its skull. A letter was pinned beneath the blade. “Get it down,” [[Ellette|Ellette]] said, her voice tight. [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] and [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] carefully lowered the body. As they pulled the dagger free, they noticed it was finely crafted, though its sigil—a winged beast of some sort—was worn and difficult to identify. [[Ellette|Ellette]] unfolded the letter, the faded writing barely legible. “Seek out the Order of S... Key to...” she read aloud. “That’s all I can make out.” The group pondered the cryptic message as they moved on, keeping the dagger and letter for future investigation. The path ahead was blocked by a wide, fast-moving river. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] stepped forward, his confidence unnerving. “I’ll handle this,” he said, raising his hands to cast _Mold Earth_. Instead of shifting the riverbank, skeletal hands burst from the ground, pulling themselves up as undead soldiers rose to attention. The party readied their weapons, but [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] waved dismissively. “Stand down,” he said, and the undead melted back into the earth. He smirked. “That’s new.” “You’re lucky we didn’t take your head off,” [[Ellette|Ellette]] snapped. The party worked together to find a safer way across, using [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]]’s vines and [[Ellette|Ellette]]’s quick thinking to bridge the river. They made it to the other side, soaked but unharmed. They continued down the winding path, the air thick with an unnatural stillness. A faint sound broke the silence—the soft cries of a child. The group tensed, their weapons at the ready. “Over there!” [[Ellette|Ellette]] said, spotting a small figure sitting in the middle of the road. Without hesitation, she ran toward the child. “Wait!” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] shouted, grabbing her arm. “It’s a trap.” The child bolted into the woods, and as [[Ellette|Ellette]] hesitated, glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows. The eyes blinked out one by one, leaving the party with an unsettling sense of dread. “We need to move,” [[Zara Blackwood|Zara]] said quietly, her voice trembling. [[Ellette|Ellette]] looked into the woods one last time before turning back. “Let’s go,” she said, her tone heavy with disappointment. The tree's surrounding the path began to thin, and in the distance, a tall structure came into view. Its silhouette loomed against the dark sky, a solitary beacon amidst the desolation. “Is that it?” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] asked, his voice hushed. “It must be the tower Esmerelda mentioned,” [[Qwimby|Qwimby]] replied. The party exchanged weary glances before steeling themselves. Whatever awaited them in the tower, they knew it would bring them one step closer to their goal. [[Chapter 66. Mysterious Tower]]