Chapter 5: Travel from the Silken Paths

Postby **lhx** » Mar 21st, '18, 17:15

Moloch grimaces and keeps his wand out and ready to activate at a moment's notice. "The chances that these things are benevolent... are quite slim," he mutters. "At best, they are mimicking drow features for some nefarious deception. At worst..." he shudders. "I don't want to know how it'd feel to have those tumescent red fungi growing out of my skull."

ooc: that picture... is that a "full body" image with creepy white spindly limbs, or are we just seeing a face with white hair (or some other material) hanging from it?

OOC: There's no question what you're looking at were once drow. The wisps are both white hair and flowing mushroom appendages; however, they are walking on clearly two dark elven legs, not weird mushroom spindles.

OOC- I think it's supposed to be a Bust portrait (like most of the art in this book), the white bits are hair.

IC- "Perhaps they cannot hear. Moloch, would you be able to speak to their mind? I do not know if there will be any mind to speak to, but perhaps it would aid our understanding of their intent. If they are in fact passive, we would do best to pass them and continue on."

OOC- Really wish I took Resistance cantrip to help Moloch from going insane

The "drow" still continue their ways; they haven't even so much as shown a twitch of recognition while you two are conversing.

Moloch shifts uncomfortably, then perks up. "I've got a better idea." He raises his wand, utters ድምፅ-አልባ ምስል [casts Silent Image] and a perfect double of Moloch appears in front of the group, then starts calmly walking towards the three creatures, its hands empty, palms forward, and arms held out in a non-aggressive gesture.

OOC: Love it! Inspiration to Moloch if you didn't have it, if you do have it, you can give it to one of the other PCs.

As before, the drow don't pay any attention to the image even when it gets within 15' of the drow. The drow nearest the image is focused intently on a small patch of mushrooms that look more like purple grass growing out of the cavern floor than mushrooms. Do you want to make the image do anything else or get closer?

Baelem · Postby **Baelem** » Mar 22nd, '18, 11:42

ooc: already have, so i'll give it to Cas

Baelem · Postby **Baelem** » Mar 22nd, '18, 11:45

Moloch directs the image stride up right next to the "drow," and if they still don't react, it will step right into the purple mushrooms, appearing to jostle and crush a few stalks.

Postby **lhx** » Mar 22nd, '18, 12:48

The "drow" still don't react to striding right up to them. As your image appears to crush some mushrooms, the nearest drow calmly bends down toward the illusionary crushed mushrooms and tries to straighten them back up, but after physically interacting with the illusionary mushrooms, returns to the same task it was doing before. Moloch, you're pretty sure these are some sort of automaton or thrall; they're simply not doing anything other than tending the mushrooms.

Postby **lhx** » Mar 22nd, '18, 12:49

Also, as you've gotten close to the drow, their otherworldy appearance has been so startling to you, that all the PCs need to make a DC 10 CHA save please.

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » Mar 23rd, '18, 08:11

Baelem wrote:ooc: already have, so i'll give it to Cas

OOC- Thanks!

Charisma Save

1d20+1 => 16, 1 => 17

Postby **lhx** » Mar 23rd, '18, 11:45

Cas is safe

Moloch, Scafell, DC 10 CHA saves please

Baelem · Postby **Baelem** » Mar 23rd, '18, 14:40

cha save

1d20+6 => 12, 6 => 18

Postby **lhx** » Mar 23rd, '18, 22:08

Moloch is safe too. Scafell, paging scafell...

jasonw · Postby **jasonw** » Mar 24th, '18, 01:32

CHA save

d20-1 => 9, -1 => 8

Postby **lhx** » Mar 27th, '18, 14:12

Scafell check your PMs please.

jasonw · Postby **jasonw** » Apr 2nd, '18, 02:46

Scafell says "Embryo chord resist. Mechanical bar tone step? Bond beard prove terrace!"

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » Apr 3rd, '18, 06:52

Castien's eyes go wide. "Is this what happened with the giant?" He asks Moloch? Regargless, he looks towards Scafell, who seems to be trying to speak, even if his vocabulary is a bit scrambled.

"Scafell, can you understand us? Do not panic. Can you nod your head to at least signal that you are capable of basic reasoning and communication?"

jasonw · Postby **jasonw** » Apr 3rd, '18, 15:00

Scafell glares, nods his head very deliberately, and says "Mosquito threshold! Preoccupation sniff vat basket note! Pledge!"

Postby **lhx** » Apr 3rd, '18, 15:40

Inspiration to Scafell.

Moloch, you want to chime in? Also, what does everyone want to do about the thralls? Scafell, feel free to mime your intentions.

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » Apr 4th, '18, 08:20

"Well, if this is not life threatening, I vote we move along and head for Neverlight, These beings do not seem interested in us or our doings," Cas says aloud to the group

Postby **lhx** » Apr 4th, '18, 11:25

Jijmar pipes up, "Sure thing. These guys are just mindless automatons..." As he says that, he rips a mushroom stalk out of the ground and throws it at the nearest "drow". The stalk bounces off of the "drow" and hits the ground. The drow mechanically picks up the mushroom stalk, straightens it, and then sticks it in the top of its head, like an 18th century gentlemen sticking a plume in his hat.

Moloch, you ready to move on?

Baelem · Postby **Baelem** » Apr 9th, '18, 16:12

Moloch is ready to move on! (ooc: sorry, got bogged down with schedule)

Postby **lhx** » Apr 12th, '18, 21:48

OOC: Me too; schedule can be tough in the spring.

The party moves on from the apparent mindless automaton drow mushroom cultivators and spends another solid day travelling through similar tunnels with the occasional larger mushroom patch. The party rests for the "night" without any incident and sets back out down the tunnels.

After a few hours, Stool gets excited, telepathically telling the party, "Yes! Yes! We're almost there! I can feel it in my feet!"

After about 30 minutes, the party comes through a narrow cleft in a passageway, and all of a sudden the stench of decay abounds; however, this is the stench of a wet forest floor, as opposed to the stench of a crypt.

Pale cream and beige stalks grow thick and tall, resembling a surface world forest. Fungi grow in profusion everywhere, and it's hard to find anything resembling a path between them. The giant caps of zurkhwood mushrooms obscure your view of the cavern's ceiling, but luminescent fungi there give off a shimmering aura. With each step taken on the soggy ground, a rank scent of decay rises around you.

OOC: you may treat the cavern as if it's in dim light unless I state otherwise

Basically, you're staring at something similar to this:

Stool says, with a tone of rapture, "I'm finally home!" Without even looking back he heads off into the mushrooms.

From your current vantage point you don't see any other myconids or other creatures; just mushrooms and more mushrooms.

What do you want to do?

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » Apr 13th, '18, 08:39

"Stool! Do not wander off! We do not know if there may still be danger here!" He casts Light on his drow-made short sword, and hurries off after the myconid, though it only need be a brisk pace to do so.

Do any of these mushrooms look like the ones that gave them trouble in the grotto? (i.e the shriekers or similar)

Postby **lhx** » Apr 13th, '18, 10:28

shortsinsnow wrote:"Stool! Do not wander off! We do not know if there may still be danger here!" He casts Light on his drow-made short sword, and hurries off after the myconid, though it only need be a brisk pace to do so.

Do any of these mushrooms look like the ones that gave them trouble in the grotto? (i.e the shriekers or similar)

Perception check please.

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » Apr 13th, '18, 10:32

Perception

1d20+5 => 9, 5 => 14

Postby **lhx** » Apr 13th, '18, 16:37

Castien sees a patch of shriekers at the edge of his dark vision but they are off the path from the direction Stool is traveling.

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » Apr 16th, '18, 05:04

Then he will follow the myconid, though he will also be cautious in this place

Postby **lhx** » Apr 16th, '18, 12:30

Moloch, Scafell, what are you doing?

Baelem · Postby **Baelem** » Apr 19th, '18, 20:08

Moloch cheerfully whistles a jaunty tune and follows after Stool and Castien.

Postby **lhx** » Apr 19th, '18, 20:44

Scafell, come on dude...

jasonw · Postby **jasonw** » Apr 22nd, '18, 15:28

Scafell follows along, looking closely at mushrooms for evidence of anything odd.

Postby **lhx** » May 2nd, '18, 21:14

Scafell, with your druid background, you are able to see plain as day the tell-tale signs of a recent visit by what appears to be a

► Show Spoiler

After about 5 minutes of following Stool into the mushroom forest, a tall and lean myconid, approximately 9 feet tall steps in front of Stool. A cloud of spores release from its cap as he bends over and reaches a fungi-esque hand down to Stool. Stool hops on and says via his spores, "I'm really home." To the myconid he says, "I am Stool of Neverlight Grove... you look like one of the Hunters... but I've been away more of my life than here... I'm sorry... I'm rambling..."

The rest of the party hears in their minds a deep presence, "Yes, little one, I am one of the hunters. Loobamub's my name if you wish to search your memory. It's wonderful to see you back; but, the grove is not the same as it once..." The myconid seems to trail off and stop speaking. "You have... compatriots? Helpers? With you?"

Stool replies back, "Yes! These people are my friends. They rescued me from the drow and brought me here! They are our friends."

Loobamub turns to regard Cas, "An elf? But not like one I've ever seen before... where are you from stranger?"

Postby **lhx** » May 2nd, '18, 21:15

OOC: Also, I owe JasonW an apology; I harassed him for posting and then got really mad at the game. I didn't realize he had posted over a week ago. My fault guys. Please forgive me.

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » May 3rd, '18, 06:21

"That is because I am from the surface," Cas says, pointing up in general, "I traveled here to study and learn from my fellow elves down in the Menzoberranzan, but I was captured by....spiders..." he trails off for a second before coming back, "I assure you, we come as friends. Our companion Stool here has led us to you. We hoped that you might aid those of us who wish to once again go to the surface." he gestures to his companions like the druid and wizard

Postby **lhx** » May 3rd, '18, 18:15

shortsinsnow wrote:"That is because I am from the surface," Cas says, pointing up in general, "I traveled here to study and learn from my fellow elves down in the Menzoberranzan, but I was captured by....spiders..." he trails off for a second before coming back, "I assure you, we come as friends. Our companion Stool here has led us to you. We hoped that you might aid those of us who wish to once again go to the surface." he gestures to his companions like the druid and wizard

The myconid replies, "My spores tell me you mean me no harm so I'll take the little one's word for now. Drow I know... Menzoberranzan I've heard the name. Spiders we see all the time. But what is this surface? Are you from the roof of the caves?" Cas, you're getting the feeling that the literal concept of the surface is escaping him.

shortsinsnow · Postby **shortsinsnow** » May 4th, '18, 07:49

"Fascinating...well, we are from another...cave system. One of different plant and animal types. One where the cave ceiling is very, very high, and, well...we live quite far above you. There are many people like myself, who can survive in that cave system as well as these, well enough at least. And there are some who cannot survive well in this one, one so dark and cold. Your people have done well in this cave, but I suspect would not do well in our caves. Too much light, I think." Cas says. He fumbles for words, as he is quite excited and also well out of his given field of expertise.

Postby **lhx** » May 4th, '18, 11:31

"Too much light? Harrumph! We have plenty of light here already. I don't think I'm the best one to talk about your special cave system; perhaps talking to the sovereign will make more sense. Stool, you should introduce these visitors to the Sovereign when you get a chance.

"Also, mind your step in the outskirts of the grove; there's a shambling mound running around and I'm trying to catch it. Don't let it catch you."

OOC: Scafell, Moloch, you have anything you want to ask of the mushroom man?

Baelem · Postby **Baelem** » May 4th, '18, 14:16

What does Moloch know about shambling mounds?

Postby **lhx** » May 5th, '18, 14:10

Baelem wrote:What does Moloch know about shambling mounds?

► Show Spoiler

Postby **lhx** » May 7th, '18, 13:53

FYI: I'll be travelling until the 15th but I'll try and keep things moving along.

Postby **lhx** » May 16th, '18, 14:19

I'm back. Moloch you have a reply? Scafell?

jasonw · Postby **jasonw** » May 19th, '18, 12:55

"Is there anything we should know about the Sovereign, friend?"

Postby **lhx** » May 20th, '18, 14:23

Stool pipes up: "The sovereign is our leader and forms our voice when we join... or... maybe meld is the right word?"

The adult myconid says, "Well... at least that part is right... however, we are divided at present... there are two sovereigns, and not everybody melds with everybody anymore... I don't like it one bit."

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